


Children of Force: Rewind

by AndromedaofOthys



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Anakin Needs a Hug, Awesome Padmé Amidala, Confused Luke, Dooku is an arse, Force Ghost Qui-Gon Jinn, Manipulative Sheev Palpatine, Multi, Obi-Wan Needs a Hug, Protective Luke, Rabid Plot bunny, cloning technology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-09-03 13:58:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8716552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndromedaofOthys/pseuds/AndromedaofOthys
Summary: Force-messages are serious bussiness, and they rarely leave the recipients unchanged. Traveling back in the time, however, isn't what usually happens. However, these are Kenobi and Skywalker: things never happen the usual way around them.





	1. Force-message sending us to Korriban? Why not?

**Author's Note:**

> For those unaware, Korriban is the old name for Moraband, introduced in SWCW Season 6: The Sacrifice.

Twin suns beat down on the sandy terrain and a rounded hovel peeking out of it. Inside the hovel sat blonde boy, who was shifting constantly in his seat. His name was Luke Skywalker: and he was absolutely, indescribably bored. Uncle Owen grounded him for joyriding in his small, beat-up yet well-loved skyhopper through Beggar’s Canyon with Biggs. The only comfort he had in his solitude was Old Ben and his daughter Krystal’s promise of visitation after they returned from their month-long journey to Mandalore. Krystal offered him no explanation as to why her father suddenly decided to visit an interdicted planet, other than vague ‘family trouble’ one. Privately, Luke suspected the real reason had something to do with his saber-style of choice and painful memories of his father. He wasn’t about to change his mind, though; Djem So felt so natural, even with some concessions to Ataru and Soresu Krystal and Qui-Gon Jinn helped him work in. His instincts, honed by last three years of Jedi training, suddenly flared up.

_Master?_ he sent mentally, taking care to bounce the message through Dagobah and Lothal, masking the flare.

_Luke? What is it?_ came the distinctive Coruscanti accent. Luke could sense unease and uncertainty in his Master’s mind voice.

_A bad feeling_ _,_ he sighed, closing his eyes and reclining on his chair, searching for Krystal’s presence. _I don't like it, Master_ _._ A strong rebuke equal to mental swat over the head echoed through the Force, making Luke wince.

_Concentrate on here and now, Padawan mine_ _,_ was Ben’s utterly unhelpful answer. A sigh. _Maybe you sensed Krystal? We parted ways on Yavin IV._

_Yavin IV_ _?_ Had he had anything fragile in his hand, Luke was sure he would’ve dropped it and murdered it. It explained lack of Force presence, but why would they separate? _Why would she go there?_

_Rebel Alliance needed a backup base. Dantooine is too much of a security risk._ Luke detected worry leaking over, making him restless and nervous.

_You don’t like it, Master?_

_Massassi temples are hardly a joke, young one. Exar Kun still resides in one of them_ _._ Luke swallowed. Jedi held little stock in legends and superstitious nonsense; the stories of the Darksiders, however, were too well documented to be taken lightly, and Exar Kun was one of those he wished he had never heard from his Master.

_I don't_ _-_ In the middle of the sentence, Force shifted and flexed without warning; the disturbance behaved almost violently, and with it came a message. A picture of barren, sand-covered desolate world bloomed behind Luke’s eyelids; it reminded him of Tatooine, he thought distantly, but without any warmth from the twin suns.

_Luke, father, what was that?_ Krystal joined the conversation, sounding winded and confused.

_A message_ , was Ben Kenobi’s reply. _I haven't seen one so concrete in a long, long time._

_Who else felt it?_ Luke didn't want to think about Darth Sidious, nor his father, Darth Vader.

_Let me check_ _,_ Krystal offered, withdrawing slightly, ready to sink into meditation.

_Don't try it_ _,_ Ben warned her. _You’ll risk  being discovered by Sith!_

_Not if they come to me first_ _,_ was girl’s smart-aleck answer. _I’ll know it the moment they try to check the source of disturbance in the Cosmic Force_ _._ Ben sighed, but offered no further comment.

_Oh ho, we're lucky this time_ _,_ Krystal sent them a few minutes later. _Only Vader reached in._ She stopped, listening. _Or maybe not so lucky after all. He knows the name of that Force-damned planet_ _._ A mental equivalent of shiver raced through the three-way connection.

_Krys?_

_Korriban_ _,_ she breathed, eliciting a flinch from her father and an inhale from Luke.

_Sithspit_ _,_ Luke cursed, and for once, neither Kenobi reprimanded him for it, being too horrified by the name.

_Are you certain, darling?_ Ben desperately wanted his far-seeing girl to be wrong.

_He recognised it_ _,_ Krystal dashed his hopes. _Sidious showed it to him, and he chased a slaver ship through that sector once_ _._ She shivered again. _It’s a horrible place, Father._

_I know,_ Ben sent to them. _Every Sith not killed by a Jedi had been buried there during Sith Empire._

_Before Ruusan Reformation, right?_

_Yes. The potency of Dark Side there is… indescribable. It killed off any sort of sentient life that existed before they decided to settle there._

_Mustafar_ _._ Luke’s thoughts immediately flashed to the fiery inferno of the planet. _But for the Sith._

_Indeed._ Ben sighed. _But Force-message broadcasted on this scale and such selectiveness would be foolish to ignore._

_The question, Master, is who sent it_ _._ Luke pursed his lips.

_I think it was one of the dead,_ Krystal chimed in hesitantly. _It didn’t feel like anyone living. What I do know, though, is that I have no idea why they did it._

_In other words, it's a trap_ _,_ Luke started smirking. _And I recall a certain policy of yours, Master…_

_What in the galaxy made me think I could raise another Skywalker?_ came an exasperated thought from the former Negotiator.

_Do you want that list done chronologically or alphabetically, Father?_ Krystal remarked mock innocently. Another mental swat resounded through Force.

_Cheeky brat._

_Not to be a party crasher, but I don't want Sith to hear us_ _,_ Luke interrupted.

_Okay. Father, pick him up: I’ll meet you on Yavin._

_May the Force be with you._

_And with you, Master/Father_ _,_ chorused the younger duo, exiting their shared mindspace.

 

ISD _Devastator_ hung suspended in the space over a dark, colorless planet of Vjun. Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, was in his Bast Castle, gazing in the Star Destroyer’s direction: his eyes hidden behind the helmet’s lenses, however, were focused on something both far, far beyond and much closer than his flagship. Man who was once called Hero With No Fear immersed his senses into vast depths of the Force, searching for the origin of the unexpected Force-message and the brief spike of Light that followed. He could sense no distinct Force signature that would point to his old Master, or suggestion of any sort of trap from the surviving Jedi or his own Master, Lord Sidious, yet he remained wary. Emperor hadn’t contacted him about the message in nearly two standard hours: without any indications of his involvement, he was forced to assume he hadn't received it. With him out of equation, the content of the message became even more puzzling: no Light Side user would ever step on Korriban’s surface willingly, let alone send out the picture of the Valley of Dark Lords to him.

**_What are you playing at?_** he sent the query into the Force. As per usual, there was no answer; he may be its Chosen One, but he had no leverage or special favours with the all-encompassing energy that birthed him. Vader crossed his arms over his chest. Even though Bast was to be his sanctuary and place for sabbatical for the next two months, nothing in Emperor’s order forbade him chasing after disturbances in the Force. With Obi-Wan and Yoda still on the loose, Caleb Dume and Ezra Bridger with the Rebels and mysterious Silver Dancer wreaking havoc throughout the Imperial Security Bureau’s intelligence networks, there was no shortage of Jedi-related reports he could act on if deemed necessary. His comm beeped in that moment, shattering Dark Lord's meditative state of being. Irately he answered the call.

‘Yes Commander?’

_‘Milord, we received a transmission from our Mandalorian garrison. Duchess Satine’s grave had been visited with no log on the name_ ’, Commander Daine Jir’s clipped report left him tense. **_Obi-Wan?_ ** He left a small detachment around her grave, hoping Jedi Master would come in a bout of foolishness and nostalgia, but placed no true expectations upon it. Would the famed tactician and strategist succumb to the same feelings Vader had in the early days after his Fall? He doubted it. However, the small, nagging part of him that remembered being Anakin Skywalker insisted he would, if only to leave all of his attachments behind. Vader had no idea why he ever listened to that part… now he recalled. The jealousy he felt during ill-fated trip aboard Duchess’ ship _Coronet_ helped him realise his former Master’s hypocrisy. If the vaunted Negotiator could fall in love and come close to breaking Jedi Code, what stopped him, the most imperfect Jedi to exist?

‘ _What are your orders, milord?_ ’ Jir’s voice dragged him out of his musings.

‘Send the security holos for that day to ISB and prepare the docking bay for my arrival’, he ordered brusquely, walking towards his TIE Advanced. ‘I want Lambda-class to wait for me, with no crew inside. After I depart, set course for Carida.’

‘ _Yes, milord._ ’ The comm clicked off, leaving Vader to brood as he walked through the complex to hangar bay.

 

Luke was shifting his weight from one leg to another as he watched _Negotiator_ descend on the flat bedrock next to the hovel Master Ben and Krystal lived in. Small yet quick, Corellian YT-1300 freighter was not much to look at; Luke’s modifications made sure of that. Her real name was only used in the Outer Rim and Alliance bases: everywhere else, the callsign was _Sunrise_. The ramp opened as the landing sequence finished and Luke wasted no time in jumping on it and going straight to the cockpit.

‘Master!’ Ben Kenobi rose from the pilot’s seat.

‘Luke!’ They walked into each other’s outstretched arms and stayed there for a few long moments, enjoying each other’s presence.

‘All clear on the way back?’ The question was muffled in Ben’s cloak.

‘Clear as a sunrise’, the older man replied humorously as he gently detached his Padawan from his body. ‘Ready to get to Yavin?’

‘Only if I’m flying.’ Luke’s lips ghosted upwards as horror flashed over his Master’s aged face.

‘The moment I give you the yoke of the ship I’m in, you’ll know I’m ready to join the Force’, Ben replied as he shooed his young protege away and into the copilot’s seat. They rose into the atmosphere and beyond it, charting a convoluted way through the Outer Rim to Yavin IV. Even though none of the relay points sported any significant Imperial presence, other than Kashyyyk, two Jedi had to be careful: Lantilles and Corsin were both Empire worlds, Kashyyyk  was a protectorate, and Teth and Nal Hutta were Hutt territory.

‘Any trouble, Master?’ Luke queried charting the route.

‘As usual’, Ben was busy setting the hyperspace vector. ‘Watch for the _Devastator_ and _Liberator_.’

‘ _Liberator_?’

‘Lantilles’ garrison. Tarkin and the captain are fairly close.’ Ben pulled the clutch and _Negotiator_ jumped into the hyperspace. ‘Pulled a luxury cruiser out from hyperspace once on a favor.’

‘They suspect something?’ Ben frowned.

‘I had to bypass security next to Satine’s grave with some persuasion.’ Luke winced.

‘Kriff.’

‘Language, young one’, Ben chided, turning in his seat to face him. ‘There was no blockade around Mandalore when I was leaving.’

‘But the risks-!’

‘Release your anxieties, Luke’, older man advised. ‘Lingering on them will only bring you more discontent.’

‘Yeah, yeah’, younger man muttered. ‘I can’t risk touching the Dark Side.’ Jedi Master shook his head.

‘Everyone has brushes with Darkness, Luke. You only have to control your response to it.’ He turned back to the controls. ‘How long till we reach Teth?’

‘Three days’, Luke replied, leaning back into the seat. ‘Can I start third Djem So kata in the cargo hold?’ Ben rolled his eyes and waved him away.

‘Don’t destroy the paneling!’

 

The Valley of the Dark Lords was just as menacing and just as desolate as Vader remembered it. His master, Lord Sidious, took him there about a month after he fell; even then as a freshly fallen Jedi he felt uncompromisingly cold and hot in the same time, and right now the feeling was only heightened by his age and the length of time spent in the Darkness. The Force was silent for now; yet Vader knew someone bright was coming. He sensed them on his way between Vjun and Mandalore. The security holos yielded almost no clue as to the identity of the man inside the tomb: other than the Jedi-like cloak and a sense of certainty in the Force, Dark Lord of the Sith had nothing to prove his old Master had been there. He contemplated alerting the Emperor, but discarded that thought. Obi-Wan Kenobi was a ghost of his past, and only he had the right to deal with him in any way he deemed fit. His Force senses tingled; a small, battered YT-1300 was circling high above the Valley, searching for a good place to land on. Stretching out, he felt a faint echo of a presence he knew all too well, prompting an involuntary snarl. His old Master had the gall to come here, in the very heart of Dark Side he so abhorred? Wrapped up in his anger as he was, he nearly missed two other signatures: both of them young and almost nauseatingly Light. The freighter settled down expertly and the ramp opened with surprising ease, letting one of the younger presences out. It was a girl, Vader noticed with a hint of surprise, and a beautiful one as well; dressed in practical clothes he dimly recognised as Tatooinian, she scanned her surroundings before locking her gaze with him. Her lips lifted upward in a smirk.

‘Lord Vader!’ she greeted loudly as she set her feet on the Korriban soil. Vader lit his lightsaber in response, red light nearly touching the sand as he let the weapon dangle at his side: a clear challenge. Girl’s smirk widened.

‘And I didn't even introduce myself! Lukie!’ she hollered. ‘Where did you hide my lightsaber?’

‘Why should I know?’ Boyish voice came from the ship’s depth. ‘You're the one who puts it all over the place.’ Blonde head peeked onto the ramp. ‘This weapon is-’

‘Yeah, yeah, not you too. Get your behind out here; it's rude to keep Lord Vader waiting.’ Sith snorted.

‘He still gives that speech?’ He was amused despite himself.

‘Some wisdoms transcend time and philosophies’, Obi-Wan walked on the ramp, instantly making eye contact with his former student, blindly handing the girl her lightsaber. ‘And some foolish tendencies never cease to amaze.’ Growl made its way out of Vader’s throat, burning his already destroyed tissue.

‘You have a lot of nerve, coming here with two Padawans.’

‘I could say the same thing, Darth’, Jedi Master reposted, crossing his arms. ‘You weren't the only one who received that message.’

‘You have _no right_ ’, black behemoth boomed, heedless of the echo his mechanical voice caused, ‘to lecture me, old man! I am not your student anymore!’

‘You established that long ago, Vader.’ Kenobi’s voice was as dry as deserts of Tatooine. ‘And in quite a spectacular fashion, if I recall correctly.’ The girl winced and turned her head away, looking up the ramp to the blonde boy Vader only glimpsed before.

‘What are you waiting for, Luke?’ she tilted her head sideways.

‘For the blood to be spilled’, boy - Luke - quipped with a frown marring his expression. ‘You’d think they’d get over it after sixteen years.’

‘Never underestimate human’s ability to hold a grudge’, girl shook her head as she spoke. ‘I’m surprised too.’

‘Such faith you have in me darling’, Obi-Wan deadpanned. ‘And to think your Master speaks only praises of you.’

‘He’s just rubbing it in’, she smirked. ‘Besides, _he_ is just a Master; _you_ are a family.’

‘Really Master’ Luke poked teasingly, throwing his arm around girl's shoulders, ‘I thought you were faithful.’ Girl giggled.

‘This isn't faith, Lukie. This borders on incest!’ That stopped Vader dead in his tracks. _Incest?_

‘Why not just spill the whole secret while you're at it, my dear?’ Kenobi griped good-naturedly, mussing up Luke's hair.

‘It's more fun’, girl shrugged. ‘Apoplexy suits our Sith friend well.’

‘Family, Kenobi?’ Said Sith hissed, danger oozing from his voice. ‘How much of a hypocrite are you? Preaching about your precious Jedi Code, and breaking it in secret?’

‘My daughter is hardly a secret’, Jedi Master’s voice was as cold as planes of Hoth, ‘and certainly not any of your business, _Lord Vader_.’ Red lightsaber flickered up and down, portraying its holder's agitation.

‘Oh by the Force’, Luke muttered. ‘How did we get stuck with these hardheads as our parents again Krys?’

‘Because Force likes to play with those she likes?’ Krys tossed her auburn-blonde hair behind her shoulder. ‘Maybe it's destiny: you Skywalkers making a mess of things, and us Kenobis cleaning up after you!’

‘Now I'm insulted Krystal’, Luke mock-gasped, pulling her even closer to his body. ‘You would besmirch honorable name of Anakin Skywalker?’

‘I grew up with a man who raised him, and Holonet is worth nothing.’ She raised her eyebrow. ‘Since when do you use posh words?’

‘Too much time with my Master’, Luke retorted, playful grin on his face. Krystal groaned and inhaled to give her answer.

‘Well this is amusing.’ Obi-Wan’s eyes were sparkling. ‘It does bring back memories.’ Shock surrounded Sith Lord in an almost tangible aura.

‘Skywalker?’ He whispered, facemask glued to his newfound son's features. In retrospect, he should've recognised his child on the spot: it was Kenobi and his daughter's presences that put boy's existence on backburner. Now he could've smacked himself for not acknowledging his son's - Luke's - brilliant Force signature.

‘Luke Skywalker’, Luke bowed his head in his father’s direction, shooting furtive glances at his Master.

‘Relax, young one’, Obi-Wan chuckled. ‘I doubt Force called us here to witness mutual bloodshed.’ Those words snapped Vader out of shock; he whirled around to his old Master, fury crackling in the Force.

‘ _You stole my son -_ ’

‘ _Don’t_ ’, Krystal Kenobi hissed, stepping between them, ‘even _think_ about finishing that sentence! It was _you_ who hurt Padmé Amidala, not my father! In fact, he saved your son from dying with his mother!’

‘Darling -’ Jedi Master tried to calm her down.

‘What’s done’s done’, Luke interrupted. ‘I didn’t come here for this squabbling!’ Krystal said nothing, merely glared at the Dark Lord as she retreated to her father and Vader’s son. _A son…_

‘True’, Vader rumbled, his vocoder hissing. He allowed his senses to stretch out, valiantly ignoring three pillars of Light, trying to find where the message wanted to take them. A subtle tug made him turn towards the most infamous of tombs: Darth Bane’s.

‘There?’ Krystal asked, horror on her face, stepping away from her companions. ‘No. I’m not going with you.’ Luke loosely gripped her wrist, preventing her from dashing.

‘Tell me’, he ordered her, compassion in his voice. She shook her head.

‘Luke, no. If I go there, I won’t ever go out. I _know_ that.’ Kenobi came behind her, laying his hand on her shoulder.

‘Have you seen it?’ Vader blinked behind his mask. She didn’t behave like someone who just had a vision: he had some experience with those.

‘No.’ She took a deep breath. ‘ _He_ told me so, when I spoke to him. _He_ promised me he would do so if I came here.’ It was Luke’s turn to blink; Obi-Wan in contrast paled to an unhealthy color.

‘Oh _no._ ’ Negotiator took in a ragged breath. ‘I won’t let him, I promise. You’re not leaving so soon. _He_ is not your creator.’ Krystal gulped.

‘Technically, he is.’ She hugged her father. ‘Still. I’m not going there.’

‘You don’t have a choice’, Vader’s voice was flat. Grey-blue eyes he could recognise anywhere during Clone Wars stared at him under long eyelashes.

‘I’m aware.’ The defeat was loud in her voice. She shook hair out of her face and faced the tomb. Raising her head high, she walked assuredly in that direction, leaving male trio to catch up with her.

 

The only difference between the tomb and the surface of the Korriban, Ben mused as he shuffled along one of winding corridors, was the absence of natural light. Catching sight of his daughter’s face, he chalked up one more difference: the Dark was even more oppressive. Jedi Master could barely tell the difference, but Krystal was disciple of Cosmic Force, and more acquainted with flows in both Darkness and Light. Her eyes were narrowed and glinting in flashlight light, face pinched.

‘We’re close’, synthetic voice coupled with _breath-hiss_ echoed from behind, sending pangs through Ben’s heart. It felt both terrible and incredible being so close to Anakin, even if he didn’t call himself that anymore; then again, he hadn’t been Obi-Wan in years. Rounding yet another corner, the four Force-sensitives entered vast hall, dominated by three pairs of pillars and casket raised on a dais. Krystal stopped between two middle pillars, eyes locked on the dais. Ben came to rest directly behind her, following her gaze and resting his eyes onto the small slab of rock in the base of the dais.

‘Whose tomb was this?’ Luke’s voice was oddly solemn.

‘Darth Bane’s’ Vader answered.

‘And Darth Traya’s’ Krystal whispered, her body unmoving. ‘First Master and Apprentice. One to embody power, the other to crave it.’ Vader’s breathing skipped a beat then continued normally.

‘Luke’, Ben gestured his Padawan forward. ‘What’s on that slab?’ Blonde boy walked around father and daughter, squatting to see it clearly.

‘Some sort of ancient script’, he pronounced after a few seconds. ‘Can’t tell for sure if it’s Jedi or Sith or Galactic Basic - it seems to be a mixture of all three.’ Vader closed in, interested as well.

‘The Sith script warns against disturbing the slab’, Dark Lord said. Ben blinked.

‘Galactic Basic says roughly the same’, Luke volunteered. Krystal sighed.

‘And the Jedi script?’

‘I don’t recognise it’, Skywalker shrugged in confusion. Younger Kenobi slowly walked over to it, kneeling down and sitting on her heels to examine it, tracing the glyphs with the tips of her fingers. A harsh laughter escaped from the mouth as she retracted her hand.

‘In a Jedi script’, she murmured. ‘Smart, Lord Bane. Very smart.’ As if in a trance, she summoned her lightsaber from her belt, igniting it, bathing the entire room in exotic purple light. Ben sensed her intentions a second too late.

‘NO!’ he shouted, throwing himself forward, trying to wrench the weapon out of his daughter’s hands, but it was already too late: she impaled the slab with her lightsaber, creating a lighting storm. The last thing Jedi Master saw was his old and current Padawan fall on the ground before darkness overtook his vision.


	2. I don't think we're on Korriban anymore, darling...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Krystal pulls a Skywalker and stabs a piece of rock with strange writing, the troublesome foursome wakes up in a place filled with memories... and in a true Skywalker-Kenobi tradition, decide to go in lightsabers blazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> francis1: Weeeell.... you'll have to wait until Chapter 11 or so. Yes, I know I'm evil, but it's an important plot twist: although, I think tags in Additional Tags section can help you in guessing :)

The first thing Krystal noticed after flash of light that blinded her and made her hit her head was rumbling of an engine far away from her and vibration of the ground underneath her. Summoning what little consciousness she managed to regain, she discerned that the ground under was not ground at all; rather, it was metallic flooring of the starship. It certainly explained the sound of the engine: careful observation revealed it was the hyperdrive engine, meaning she was on a ship in the hyperspace. Little cough nearby alerted her to her father’s presence, from which she could read slow awakening and confusion. That made her frown mentally: if her father wasn’t in  _ Negotiator _ ’s cockpit, who was? Luke surely wasn’t: he hated sitting and watching hyperspace for long periods of time. That would only leave Vader, but she couldn’t hear his signature breathing. Slowly, her eyelids cracked open, and she was greeted with the sight that  _ definitely  _ wasn’t the interior of the  _ Negotiator _ : the walls done in tasteful mixture of burnished gold and muted dark red, with silvery-blue accents painted on it. Girl blinked, caught off guard.

‘Where are we?’ Question came out unconsciously, creasing her expression into one of absolute confusion.

‘Why don’t you tell me that, darling?’ Krystal’s father rasped out, propping himself up on his elbows and gingerly sitting up. ‘You were the one who plunged a lightsaber into that slab and got us here.’ A flash of insight hit her, making her sit upright.

‘Yes’, she breathed, ‘I did.’ With slight sway she jumped up, looking around for her lightsaber and finding it inches away from the spot her right hand had been. ‘Let me check something.’ She called it to her and clipped it to her belt, going straight for the doors.

‘Wait!’ Ben called after her, managing to find enough balance to stand up. ‘Where are you going?’

‘Just outside the door’, she answered not looking back, palming the door open and stepping out into the…

‘Force’, she whispered, awed by the gorgeous designs etched in gold and durasteel decorating the walls and the ceiling. ‘I don’t believe it!’

‘What are you talking about, dear?’ Ben stepped out as well and immediately froze, his hand outstretched in aborted attempt to grab his daughter’s wrist.

‘This is beautiful’, Krystal’s face changed as she smiled, her eyes glowing.

‘How-? What-?’ Jedi Master was at loss for words.  _ What have you done, darling? _

_ I brought us back in time _ . She couldn’t stop smiling as she spoke. ‘Where are we?’

‘We’re aboard  _ Coronet _ ’, Ben croaked out.

 

Luke had absolutely no idea where he and his father were, other than the fact they were on a ship in hyperspace. Judging by Vader’s sudden desire to sneak through the cargo hold, he recognised it, and not in a good way.

‘Where are we?’

‘ _ Coronet _ ’, came soft baritone up ahead. ‘I’d recognise it anywhere.’ Blond-grey head peeked from around the corner. That was another thing Luke couldn’t get easily used to: his father’s body had been restored and aged appropriately, getting rid of all cybernetic limbs and life support suit. Without it, he could see why his Master occasionally confused father and son: they looked almost identical on the casual scan, ignoring the obvious difference in personalities and the fact Vader - or was it Anakin now? Luke was not sure - had yellow undertones in his blue eyes, denoting him as Sith Lord. ‘Obi-Wan’s daughter brought us back in time.’

‘ _ Coronet? _ ’ The name triggered long-forgotten and vague memories of stories Krystal used to tell him about her father. ‘I don’t recall my Master talking about it.’ Vader snorted.

‘He wouldn’t’, distaste dripped from every letter. ‘If he told you, it would mean he’d admit his own flaws, as well as those of Jedi.’ Something clicked in his head.

‘Satine Kryze’, Luke murmured as they rounded yet another corner and passed through another door. ‘This is about her isn’t it, Father?’ Vader hesitated in his answer.

‘More or less’, he replied, checking around the stack of crates for anyone present. ‘More or less, son. Keep up your guard.’ Luke gripped the handle of his lightsaber tighter.

‘Trouble?’

‘Assassin probes are somewhere around’, older man answered at length. ‘My younger self and clones are searching for them.’ Younger Skywalker winced.

‘Paradoxes of time travel.’

‘Indeed.’ The pair continued their trek, bodies alert to any hint of trouble. Few minutes passed like that, until they ran into a room with circular opening in the ceiling. Vader swore in Huttese.

‘Father!’ Luke whispered, slightly scandalized by his father’s recklessness. ‘Be quiet!’ Dark Lord retreated for a few steps until he reached Luke’s hiding place, crouching down.

‘I remember this place’, older Skywalker murmured, his eyes and Force around him dancing in unease and agitation. ‘There were three assassin probes on the ship: one I got rid of, the other by Kenobi after it escaped up the turbolift shaft, and the third Rex shot down right here.’ Chills went down Luke’s spine, making him want to copy his father’s example and start swearing colorfully in Mando’a and Huttese, but the thought of his Master’s disapproving tone stayed his tongue.

‘I’ll try contacting Master’, he offered hesitantly. ‘He and Krystal must be nearby.’ Sith raised his palm up in a stop gesture.

‘It is not a good idea, son’, he sighed as he glanced over the top of the crates. ‘The disturbance would be felt almost instantly.’ Luke shook his head, smiling faintly, settling in a comfortable pose.

‘You would be surprised’, he reassured the older man. ‘With the amount of Light pulsing around, this is going to be easy.’ He reached into vast infinity of the Force, searching for the familiar signatures of his Master and his friend. Krystal he found without a problem; his Master’s signature, however, seemed to be splintered into two echoing pieces. Luke frowned as he contacted Krystal.

_ Krys? _

_Luke!_ The relief was tangible in her voice. _Where are you?_

_ Somewhere in the cargo hold. There’s a large circular opening in the room next to us. You? _

_ Just entered it _ _.  _ A pause.  _ Us? _

_ Father is with me _ _. _ There was no reaction from the girl’s side of the link for a little while.

_Don’t move_ , she ordered in a business tone. _Father and I are coming to pick you up._ Another pause. _Abort that, try to get as close to the turbolift as you can: we can’t bypass clones stationed next to us._

_ Which ones are we talking about? _

_ 501st and 212th _ , was dry reply.  _ Father is uncomfortable with me pulling Mind Trick on them, for the obvious reasons _ _. _ Luke nodded and closed off the link, meeting his father’s astonished look.

‘If I hadn’t known you were talking, I wouldn’t have felt it.’ The man who once answered to name Anakin was nothing short of taken aback: his old Master’s daughter and his son had talked via mind-link hidden so deeply inside the Light, there was no outward ripple. Luke shrugged.

‘She taught me a few tricks. We have new orders’, he stood up from the durasteel floor. ‘We need to get to the closest turbolift.’ Vader snorted.

‘She certainly expects miracles from us.’ Luke grinned with reckless abandon.

‘Isn’t that what Skywalkers excel at?’

 

Obi-Wan was tired and exhausted from the whole ordeal: seeing Satine awakened more than one voice he thought long since gone silent, and the attack on Concordia hardly helped any. Add Anakin’s sunny personality and questions he had no right asking, assassin probe getting loose inside  _ Coronet _ and the fact one of the Senators was a traitor on top of that… well. They made a certain Jedi Master quite cranky. It should come as no surprise that when spotted an unfamiliar figure in off-white garb, he set off after it, intent on getting to the bottom of the whole assassination deal. Veering sharply to the left, the figure led him all over the ship’s living area, ending only two corridors away from the dining room where it entered one of the many rooms. Unclipping his lightsaber and settling in defensive stance, he palmed the door open and entered the twin bunk chamber, eyes peeled. 

To his great surprise and not a slight amount of confusion, there was absolutely no indication of anyone being there in a long while, if the layer of dust was the chief indicator. He blinked and relaxed from battle stance, he corrected his first observation as he took notice of the writing in the dust: it was strange mixture of old Jedi and Aurebesh, making it slightly complicated to read. Squinting, he leaned closer to the message and started reading it. After a few minutes, he leaned back, color draining from his flushed face: no-one in the living memory, barring him, knew about the little fact the strange writing revealed. Hastily wiping dust away and smudging the message until it became impossible to read, he exited the chamber and walked at leisurely pace back to the dining room: he still needed to prepare the trap, but the very nature of the politicians’ affairs allowed him quite a bit of time to do so. 

Requesting a scrap of cloth and a glass covering with a plate from the kitchens, he started analysing the Senators in attendance, trying to guess which one of them was the one he was searching for, trying to forget about the message left specifically for him. He was so deeply engrossed in his thoughts, he failed to notice the figure he spent nearly twenty minutes chasing, joined by a hooded figure, watching him from a shady corner of the ship.

 

Ben wanted to collide his forehead with the nearest hard object: hitting your head on the wall, however, tended to attract wrong sort of attention and labels he’d rather not be labeled with.

‘Was I always so blind?’ he muttered and his daughter tittered, turning on her heel and walking straight to the turbolift.

‘Well, other you just read that message we left him: I don’t fault him for his temporary blindness.’ Ben growled, his fists clenching and unclenching spasmodically as Krystal sent them on the cargo holds’ levels.

‘That doesn’t excuse him! Others rely on him being able to sense any danger coming their way, and he cannot do that if he is too busy wallowing in self-deprecation and guilt!’

‘Relax’, Krystal rolled her eyes. ‘You did just fine when you were him, didn’t you? Force will guide him; if he doesn’t hear her, we will push him.’ She stepped out of the turbolift and flattened herself behind one of the many crates in the cargo hold they exited in. ‘Mind on here and now, Father, else we’ll never reach Luke and Vader in time.’ Jedi Master copied her swift movements with grace untouched by his advanced age.

‘Watch out for the clones’, Ben warned Krystal. ‘I’d prefer you do as little Jedi Mind Tricks as possible today, darling.’

‘Fret not Father’, girl dismissed her father’s worries, ‘I won’t if you don’t somehow manage to land us into a mess we can’t get out of inconspicuously.’ Ben tugged on the ginger girl’s lock closest to him, wishing hopelessly it had been standard Padawan braid: alas, the times they lived in forbade them from displaying their status as Jedi openly, and Krystal’s Master had no need for physical memento to make his point across.

‘Impertinence, young one, is  _ not _ appreciated’, he rebuked with gentleness and fondness in his voice. Krystal giggled as she peeked out to check if anyone was nearby.

‘I know.’ She frowned as Luke tugged at the edge of her consciousness, relaying their position. ‘Kriff.’

‘Language!’

‘Sorry.’ She didn’t sound apologetic. ‘Luke and Vader are stuck on the other end of the cargo hold, and with the clones between us and them...’ Ben frowned, picking at the hem of his cloak.

‘Why not tell them to meet us here? We still have to get back up.’ Krystal snorted, prompting her father to cover his face with his palm.

‘Father’, there was honest amusement mixed with teasing in her voice, ‘that just sounded wrong.’

‘It wouldn’t’, Ben grumbled as they maneuvered into a better position behind the crates, ‘if your mind was not prone to jumping to most ridiculous conclusions concerning my and Anakin’s relationship.’

‘Bit difficult not to’, she snarked. ‘The way you talk about him, you’d think he was Etra and Tyun incarnate!’ Man flushed bright red, which created an interesting contrast between his sun-bleached hair and beard and pale, flushed cheeks. Krystal giggled at her father’s embarrassment and sneaked a look around the crates, noticing two shadows darting from one heap of crates to another.

‘Here they come’, she muttered as Luke did a backflip from the past heap of crates, landing soundlessly next to the heap Ben and Krystal were hiding behind.

‘Master’, blonde boy panted as he leaned on the crate.

‘Young one’, Ben cheerfully greeted him, careful not to look behind his Padawan, where a Force nexus twisted and roiled in a way he had thought gone after that battle on Mustafar. ‘I believe we have an appointment to meet?’ Luke’s eyes narrowed.

‘Master...’ wariness in his voice could be cut with a vibroblade. ‘What appointment?’

‘I decided to mess with Father’s younger self’s head’, Krystal smirked. ‘I figured I’d follow the promise I made through.’

‘And what, exactly, would that promise include?’ Vader spoke for the first time, soft baritone so different from its’ mechanized counterpart. Evil grin graced auburn-haired girl’s face.

‘Sit down, Lord Vader. There’s so much I need to teach you.’

 

Vader never thought he would be so exhausted by something as simple as reaching into the Force, but his Master’s daughter simply kept surprising him at every turn.

_ Her name is Krystal _ , some small, long forgotten part of himself that still used the name of the dead man whispered insistently.  _ She is not Obi-Wan’s property in any way _ .

**_But she is a proof!_** larger, selfish part of him shouted, fueling the anger that kept him firmly rooted in the Darkness. **_He never cared for me like he cares for her!_**

_ And what of her mother? _ That small part never knew when to shut up.  _ She never mentions her; neither does Obi-Wan. Why would they hide it from you? _ That managed to shut him up long enough for him to notice Obi-Wan’s -  _ Krystal  _ \- watching him, head tilted to the side.

‘Am I going too quickly?’ her voice carried faint Coruscanti lilt. Vader shook his head, dispelling deconcentrating thoughts.

‘No, go on.’ She smiled hesitantly and continued instructing him.

‘Physical Force is by far most complex one to master: it doesn’t come to its’ disciples with any notable ease, and it is prone to wild mood swings and outright disobedience.’ She chuckled. ‘Cosmic Force is only easier by the fact it rarely decides to simply run away from its user.’ Vader grumbled at the reminder; it was galling that the energy he spent over twenty years studying and using could simply refuse his demands.

‘Relax, you’re doing great’, she reassured him. ‘Besides, for what I have in mind, you’ll only need most basic understanding of Physical Force to stabilise Cosmic Force: otherwise, we all run a risk of being simply torn apart by Light and Dark currents while inside. I can always continue teaching you after we pull this off.’

‘I do not like it’, older man huffed.

‘I know’, there was a note of compassion and sympathy in her words. ‘My Father was similar when I first helped him open up to the full depth of Unifying Force. You need to let go of any and all restrictions in your mind to truly understand Force on this level, including any Jedi and Sith drivel your Masters taught you.’ A harsh laugh escaped his lips.

‘Obi-Wan must not have been pleased when he heard you call his precious Code ‘drivel’.’ Krystal’s lips ghosted upwards.

‘After everything he’d seen me pull, he was more than ready to let go of some of the more confining parts of the Jedi Code. A warning though; Sith Code will hinder you even more than a Jedi one when accessing Physical Force. You just can’t allow your emotions to run rampant : you don’t want your flesh to tear itself apart just because you’re angry or scared. You have to be in control of yourself.’ Vader nodded with great reluctance and settled for another bout of guided meditation, preparing for the synchronisation with Luke and Obi-Wan, who had already departed through portals they called ‘Fold-Space Technique’; just one more thing he had never seen either of his Masters do. Shivers went through his body at the reminder of what was to come and his mouth twitched in aborted smile: Sidious would never expect such a display from anyone other than himself, much less from an unknown and eclectic quartet they were. A former Jedi Councilor, his Padawan, his daughter who wasn’t fully Jedi or Sith, and a Sith Lord who was Councilor’s former Padawan. He almost felt sorry for him;  _ almost _ .

 

Obi-Wan was ready to spring his trap on the unsuspecting Senators: after a witty repartee with Orn Free Taa he revealed the only small assassin probe that survived his and Anakin’s lightsabers and Duchess’ and Artoo’s deactivation bolts.

‘Obi-Wan, this line of  _ questioning _ borders on torture!’ Satine protested with vehemence, making his heart skip a beat guiltily; he beat the sentiment down, knowing he could do things far more unethical than simply checking who the droid wouldn’t attack.

‘Oh sweetheart, you’re lucky he chose this avenue’, came a girlish giggle from one of the corners of the room. Senators, Duchess and Obi-Wan turned instantly, resting their gazes on a simplistically dressed, desert-tanned girl with auburn locks neatly put away in a bun, golden ribbon woven into it. Not bothered by their scrutiny in the slightest, she stepped out of the shadows. ‘He has  _ morals _ . Some people I know wouldn’t be so kind. They’d just rip the truth out of the perpetrator's mind.’ Obi-Wan shivered, knowing that she spoke the truth; then he spotted the color of her garb - off white - and froze. She grinned at him, mischief dancing in her sky-blue eyes, and walked right past him, up to the table. Senators and Duchess were stunned speechless by her appearance, a General in him noted with veiled relief: they wouldn’t speak just yet and potentially sentence them all to death.

‘You can relax, General Kenobi. I’m not your enemy yet, and I certainly wasn’t part of this scheme to murder the Duchess.’  _ Your secret is safe with me _ , soft voice trickled into his mind.

‘Excuse me for not trusting you, Miss -’ He stopped, not knowing how to address her.  _ Why should I trust you? _

‘Krystal will do for now’, she supplied and turned back to the table’s occupants.  _ I have nothing to gain from revealing it. You need to confront it on your own. _ ‘I know  _ exactly _ who did this and why. This is a final warning’, her voice slipped into lower registers, honey lacing the words. ‘If you continue, you will  _ not _ like what I have in store for you.’ She seemed to glare at Duchess and Senator Tal Merrik longer than necessary, raising Obi-Wan’s hackles.

‘Why won’t you reveal it now, if you know?’ he demanded. Girl frowned at him.

‘Impatience? My, my, Negotiator. If this is how you conduct diplomatic talks, I wonder how you got your title.’ She rolled her sleeves. ‘The reason I won’t do it just yet is because I didn’t come here to unmask the traitor.’

‘Then why did you come, Miss Krystal?’ Obi-Wan was nearing the state of panic.

‘Because of you’, came a short reply. With a several sharp and precise motions, she drew a glowing glyph Jedi Master didn’t recognise and pressed her palm against it. ‘Anytime now, boys.’

_ As you wish, Krystal/darling/Krys _ , came three-layered reply through the Force. The glyph started radiating light brighter than even a supernova, shot through with the veins of darkness found only in the presence of black holes and Sith Lords. Obi-Wan couldn’t bear to look into it after a few seconds, covering his eyes with his arm: as he did so, he felt an intense Force presence just outside shields in his mind.  _ Let go,  _ girl’s voice whispered.  _ Trust me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and let go. I’ll catch you. _ Not knowing why but prompted by feelings of safety, caring and love he received from the Force, he relaxed his shields and allowed himself to fall headfirst into vortex of white and black.


	3. Into the Unknown - Force-style (or shenanigans in Synchronisation Chamber)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is nothing Sith Lord hates more than not knowing things - and Tyranus and Sidious are about to receive a tankful of those, in the most confusing way possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly filler-ish, with no real plot to speak of. However, it clears up some things about the whole Force aspect thing (which I totally wish I own: I can't remember the name of the author who used it first, but needless to say I fell in love with it).

 

Count Yan Dooku of Serenno’s current mood could only be described as foul: the war effort and management was a huge task which demanded constant attention from his person, and he had no time to indulge any sort of frivolity. The odd elderly gentleman dressed vaguely like a Jedi didn’t heed any of his objections when he popped into existence on his flagship, literally out of nowhere: he simply took away his lightsaber, bound his arms behind his back with Force and drew on a strange glyph, whose shine blinded him to the point of hallucination. For the picture stretching out in front of him could not be anything but hallucination brought on by exhaustion and painfully bright lights: there was no rational explanation for himself and the odd man standing in the middle of the starry sky and  _ walking above it like nobody’s business _ . He refused to acknowledge knowing grin gentleman sent him and the vapory tendrils converging on them: he just continued walking the direction man pointed out to him as the meeting point.

‘So untrusting, Yan Dooku’, lilting notes of Coruscanti accent pulled him out of his musings, refocusing his attention to the source of his current foul mood.

‘How should I trust you, when you didn’t introduce yourself to me then proceeded with blinding me and drugging me, resulting in me experiencing this hallucination?’ Man shook his head, soft smile still on his lips.

‘This is no hallucination, rest assured’, he spoke with casualness Dooku wished to beat out of him. ‘This is merely a visual manifestation of Cosmic Force.’ He tilted his head to the side. ‘We should hurry. My Padawan is becoming restless and his father is not helping any.’

‘You’re a Jedi?’ Dooku couldn’t hide his alarm nor his suspicion.

‘I was a Jedi’, man corrected speeding up his gait. ‘I am but a teacher and father now.’

‘You’re much more than that, Master’, youthful voice came from ahead, silvery wisps parting to reveal - 

‘Skywalker?’ Yan was floored. Boy’s lips crooked up.

‘Nope’, he answered cheerfully, ‘but he is here, arguing with my father.’ Man sighed in exasperation.

‘He will never learn patience, will he?’ Not-Skywalker shrugged.

‘I doubt it. Anyway, Krystal’s running interference, but they’re getting on her last nerve.’

‘I really should not have left a Jedi Knight and a Sith Lord in the same place and expect them to behave’, man muttered, swiping his palm over his forehead. ‘Are Obi-Wan and Palpatine settled, Luke?’ Not-Skywalker -  _ Luke _ \- nodded.

‘No trouble with them’, he informed his Master and turned on his heel, stalking into the mist, his Master following him, forcing Darth Tyrannus to hurry up as not to be left behind. His head was spinning: another Sith? As far as he knew, there was only him, his Master Sidious and that creature Maul he never quite considered a Sith. As he cleared through last of the misty tendrils, he entered something he could only call a clearing; it was devoid of stars and any sort of objects, save seven figures standing in a loose half-circle. The first thing he noticed about them was the towering behemoth of a man standing in front of Anakin Skywalker, his body language breathing aggression; not that the unpredictable Jedi Knight was any better. Honestly, Dooku couldn’t see how the unstable child even got Knighted: his emotions were all over the place. Between them, auburn-haired girl was shouting at them both, irritation forming a nearly visible silver cloud. Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Master in his Supreme Chancellor guise were standing little aside, watching the spectacle unfold with bemused expression, and Luke Not-Skywalker and strange man were approaching the quarreling trio.

‘Father!’ Luke called out. ‘You have to stop!’

‘And why should I, son?’ Soft, yet deep baritone answered.

‘Because you’ll pull us all apart. Besides, you’re hurting  _ my daughter _ .’ There was no confusion with the ice pervading Jedi’s voice. ‘She has to work even harder to maintain balance, and  _ you _ are getting into pointless arguments!’

‘Let go, Father’, Luke begged. ‘For me and Krystal, if not for Master Ben.’ Taller - and older, Dooku noted with raised eyebrows - man fell silent. Skywalker whelp pounced on the opening like a hungry nexu let from his leash.

‘I don’t need a  _ Sithspawn _ saving the day!’ SMACK!

‘Krystal!’ Jedi Master - Ben - shouted.

‘He deserved it, Father!’ Girl snapped and whirled to Kenobi. ‘Is that what Jedi teach their students? To beat the downed?’ Kenobi, Tyrannus was glad to notice, hung his head.

‘Now, now, Anakin only acted on his emotions’, Sidious spun his web, entering the conversation. Tyrannus never stopped being impressed with his ability to portray whatever role would benefit him. ‘He cannot be faulted for that.’

‘Oh yes he can’, Ben sniffed disdainfully, echoing Dooku’s sentiments regarding the brat. ‘He nearly made Vader lose control, and then we’d all end up dead.’ He gestured outwards. ‘He and Krystal worked too hard on this just to see us all killed.’

‘You insulted my son’, Vader - and if that wasn’t a Sith name, Dooku would eat his lightsaber - murmured in a deathly whisper.

‘He doesn’t know, Father’, Luke jumped in valiantly. ‘And he’s a Jedi. I’m not insulted.’

‘But you were hurt’, Kenobi unexpectedly offered an accurate insight. ‘I apologise on my friend’s behalf; he lets his mouth run away on occasion.’ Luke, Krystal, Ben and Vader exchanged a long, pointed look. Luke was the first one to crack: he started giggling, followed by Krystal. Ben and Vader managed to keep stoic faces, even though smiles could be seen around the corners of their mouths.

‘A true diplomatic clean up, Kenobi style’, Krystal explained when the four not in the know leveled their gazes at her. ‘Skywalker makes a mess, Kenobi cleans it up.’ Skywalker pouted like a youngling, Kenobi flushed and Palpatine sighed. Dooku didn’t react outwardly; in the inside, however… he had to admit girl’s claim hit a few salient points.

‘Not my fault I'm absolute failure at diplomacy’, Skywalker muttered.

 

Sidious was seriously tempted to reveal himself and unleash Sith Lightning upon those ingrates he was forced to keep company. Tyranus was moderately tolerable, and Kenobi would be a perfect companion had he not been Jedi through and through; new Jedi Master Ben and his daughter Krystal however - and wasn't that a surprise! A Jedi who had children! - were infuriatingly Jedi-like; an image of what Jedi Order should have been. Vader and his son, on the other hand… they were a puzzle. Darth Vader was name he intended for Anakin Skywalker when he turned, and to see someone else bear that name and exude such Darkness was both jarring and alarming. The continued bickering brought Sidious out of his darker thoughts, reminding him to harden his kindly Chancellor facade

‘Are you a Jedi Knight or a creche youngling, Skywalker?’ Vader asked Skywalker with raised eyebrows. Ben snorted.

‘As if you were so much better at his age, former Padawan mine’, Master chided with a gentle smile. Rather than blowing up at the mere implication of ever being taught ways of Light, Vader only smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.

‘All thanks to you, my old Master’, he parried. Luke and Krystal exchanged delighted grins.

‘You are a walking danger hazard, darling’, Ben turned now to scold his daughter who wore unrepentant grin on her face. ‘Not a full standard hour and you already made him more level-headed.’

‘I don’t fancy myself dying in this place, Father’, she smirked in reply. ‘It was that, or Jedi meditation. You can guess what was the end result.’

‘Something I still bemoan.’ There was no real heat in old Master’s voice, merely an echo of a long-suffering sadness and kindness.

‘If I may interrupt, Master Jedi’, Palpatine said with politician smile, ‘what is our purpose for being here? I am on a bit of a tight schedule.’ Luke - boy who came to fetch him - locked his gaze with his, sending chills through Dark Lord in disguise’s spine. Somehow, Palpatine knew, this boy and his companions had seen what he was despite his shields: the question remained  _ how _ .

‘We are aware, your Ma-Excellency’, boy quickly corrected himself after spying his compatriots’ looks, ‘but we cannot begin if some of our numbers refuse to settle down.’ Kenobi sent Skywalker a reproaching look when the latter opened his mouth to counter boy’s claim.

‘Begin what, exactly?’ Tyranus asked with keen, yet guarded expression on his face.

‘Oh, you shall see’, Vader promised darkly, waving his arm and leaving eight comfortable chairs in the wake of his gesture. ‘You shall see, Darth Tyranus.’ Tyranus froze, as did Kenobi and Skywalker, their hands flying to their belts to grip lightsabers which didn’t hang off them. Strangers - for all they knew about them, Vader, Luke, Krystal and Ben were outright strangers - were not at all perturbed by Vader’s declaration.

‘Relax’, Krystal rolled her eyes, ‘and sit. You can’t harm each other here: one of stipulations of this place. The other you just discovered.’ She pointed to her belt. ‘No weapons allowed, lightsabers in particular.’ Palpatine shook his head: he never carried his weapon on himself, that was what he had his Red Guard for. He carefully chose one of the outermost chairs, ready to spring away on the moment’s notice. Young Anakin automatically took a seat on his left, bodily protecting him from the rest of the seated company. Kenobi, after shorter deliberation, offered his hand to the only female in the clearing.

‘Milady?’ he asked with a charming smile of a Negotiator. She smiled and giggled slightly, allowing him to lead her to the left chair of the central pair. Vader quickly claimed the chair directly opposite Palpatine, allowing the two Sith to carefully evaluate each other. Vader was in his late thirties or early forties, Palpatine guessed noting the amount of silver and grey hairs he sported; his Force signature was openly Dark, and not from a recent Fall. A soft scratching revealed Tyranus taking seat next to Krystal, closer to Vader, Luke sitting on girl’s right, Kenobi taking seat between Luke and Anakin, and Ben settling between Tyranus and Vader. That fact made Sidious raise his eyebrow: a Jedi who was willing to sit in-between two Sith Lords was either insane or foolishly brave. Anakin seemed to share his thoughts: he fixed the elderly Jedi Master with an incredulous look. Kenobi did not reveal his thoughts; he seemed more preoccupied with staring at Krystal with a blank expression on his face.

‘If we can finally begin?’ Luke asked, a hint of impatience woven into his request. Nods went around the half-circle. ‘Good. Krys?’

‘Of all time to choose to adhere to ladies first...’ Said girl shot him a pointed look before turning to the assembled people. ‘Do you know where we are?’

‘No karking idea’, Anakin said without hesitation, ignoring Tyranus’ and Kenobi’s scandalized looks.

‘Good to know’, she nodded in acquiescence as if she hadn’t heard a mild curse. ‘We are in Synchronisation Chamber, with Cosmic and Physical Force presiding.’ She bowed her head in Vader’s direction, who returned the gesture.

‘Cosmic and Physical?’ Kenobi interrupted. ‘I thought there were only Unifying and Living Force.’ Krystal shrugged.

‘They’re easier to access for those not one with the Force, and far less likely to misbehave.’ Vader scowled.

‘Synchronisation Chamber?’ Tyranus wanted to know. Frankly, so did Sidious. The number of questions rose with every word out of girl’s mouth, and every answer opened half a dozen new questions he never even thought to ask anyone before.

‘It’s a fancy name for a place where Force users can appear and talk, without any need for comcalls’, Luke explained. ‘I mean, we pulled Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker out of hyperspace, Count Dooku from his base’, he shot the aforementioned man the look while revealing that, ‘and Supreme Chancellor from his office on Coruscant.’ Tyranus relaxed when the name of the system was purposefully omitted, and Kenobi and Skywalker leaned back in disappointment.

‘And it has quite literal meaning’, Ben murmured. ‘Synchronisation of two aspects of Force that usually don’t work side-by-side.’

‘Jedi don’t teach like that’, Anakin tilted his head.

‘Neither do Sith’, Vader replied. ‘My teacher actually told me to let go of all ‘drivel your Masters taught you’.’ Ben shot and exasperated look at his daughter.

‘Those words exactly, darling?’ Krystal shrugged with no remorse.

‘It’s true. Neither Code allows for the full understanding of Force. They’re terribly limited. If any of us followed them… Vader would’ve torn us apart several time over, and I wouldn’t be able to fully synchronise to this place in the first place.’ Her father leaned back into his chair, satisfied with her explanation.

‘Each aspect of the Force presides over a segment of life’, Luke picked up from where Krystal left off. ‘Physical Force deals in matters of flesh and blood, in terms of organisms and ecosystems. Living Force deals with flow of life and natural cycle of life and death. Unifying Force guards over time-space continuum, and binds past, present and future. Cosmic Force deals with immaterial souls and consciousnesses, and holds multiverse together.’ He leans forward. ‘That is how it was explained to me.’

‘It sounds quite daunting’, Palpatine enthused. ‘How do you manage?’ Luke and Ben exchanged wry glances.

‘We don’t’, Ben answered. ‘The worst mistake Jedi and Sith make is when they assume Force is not sentient. We don’t control aspects we have affinity for: we are its’ disciples. They teach us, and we can only listen and do as they say.’

‘Force is sentient?’ Kenobi’s face was a mask of politeness which fooled no-one.

‘She is’, Krystal said with laconic ease. ‘Technically, I should refer to her as ‘zie’, gender neutral since she can’t be defined in terms of binary gender labels, but I always felt Force as Mother of All. A female. She hasn’t said anything about it so far, so… I call her ‘she’.’

‘Personally, I refer to Force as ‘he’’, Ben revealed. ‘I guess having a man for a Master makes me more susceptible to that name.’

‘Sentient Force’, Tyranus looked as if he had enough.

‘Are we overwhelming you?’ Luke was concerned. ‘I certainly was when Krys explained it all to me.’

‘Only slightly, kid.’ Anakin was pale under desert-tan.

‘Don’t think too much about it’, Vader interjected. ‘You can think about the whole set of ramifications later.’

‘Mind on here and now’, Kenobi and Ben chorused then looked at each other. Sidious was tempted to laugh out loud. Luke and Krystal were as well, judging by their shaking shoulders.

‘Some things never change, eh old man?’ Vader directed the question to his former Jedi Master.

‘If they include your impertinence, then indeed.’ Ben had quite a lip on him, Palpatine noticed, and a demeanor not unlike that of an experienced politician.

‘Will we get to point in this millennium?’ Tyranus was nearing the end of his patience.

‘Oh, why are you here?’ Krystal shrugged. ‘We had a crazy idea, and we decided to run with it.’

‘Ignore that’, Luke reassured those in attendance. ‘This is her way of joking.’

‘You nearly gave me a heart attack, darling. Don’t do that’, Ben grumbled.

‘Relax Father. We'll be sending our guests on their way soon enough.’

‘So, what was the point of this meeting, besides you four blowing up our minds?’ Anakin wanted to know. His tan was recovering from its’ previous pallid color, but he still looked quite unhealthy.

‘Honestly? I wanted to show you the Balance of the multiverse’, Krystal answered. ‘There’s no such thing as Darkness without Light, and without Darkness we wouldn’t know what Light was.’

‘In other words, she thinks the arguing between Jedi and Sith Order is completely immaterial and baseless’, Vader rumbled.

‘It’s not just immaterial’, Ben added. ‘It’s extremely harmful to the Balance, and only begets more unnecessary bloodshed.’

‘Don’t we know it’, Luke commented with downtrodden expression. ‘And with Jedi Order so slow to change, and Sith Order fixated on destroying Jedi, it’s sheer dumb luck that the galaxy hadn’t been plunged into civil war earlier.’ Tyranus looked thoughtful. Sidious didn’t want to believe it, but he couldn’t reveal himself, so he decided on evasion tactic.

‘And what all this esoteric talk has anything to do with me?’ Palpatine demanded. Luke and Krystal smiled slowly, meaningfully at each other.

‘One more thing about this place’, Krystal’s face had an angelic smile on it as the girl started to move her arm in a complex way, drawing a glyph out of silver vapor surrounding her. ‘You cannot hide anything from its creators.  _ Anything _ .’ Tyranus and Sidious paled in tandem with Kenobi and Skywalker. Girl giggled and pressed her palm to the glyph.

‘Now be gone!’


	4. Wakey, wakey, Sleeping Beauty...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some wakeups are nice, and some not so nice. What they all bring, however, is understanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ano.... I haven't updated because Darth RL caught up to me?

Obi-Wan Kenobi woke up with a headache that could've led him to Tatooine and back and still have fuel left to torment him. The pain and dizziness were so great that he couldn't even open his eyes properly, relying only on his slightly skewed sense of sound and touch to determine his location. If his nose could be trusted, he was in a med bay of some sort; his back was lying horizontally on a warm and comfortable surface: a bed, maybe? He groaned quietly and became aware of the quiet chatter not far away, which stopped the moment he let out a sound.

‘Obi-Wan?’ Satine’s voice trickled in, rather low-volumed and, dare he say it, anxious. ‘Can you hear me?’

‘An-' he coughed, interrupting his word. ‘Anakin?’

‘Your friend is fine, Master Kenobi, if suffering from the same fainting spell you had.’ This was not a surprise; it still evoked shivers and anxiousness in Obi-Wan’s body.

‘Time?’ His voice was on the edge of croaking, and the headache was slow to recede, prompting Jedi Master to reach into the Force and allow it to heal him. It welcomed him, as it always did, not hinting on any sort of disturbance or any significant change. That had been quite a surprise; after the strange quartet’s information dump inside shared Force-vision… quite frankly, he expected the Force to radically shift. This lack of change unnerved him and made him question the Code and teachings of Jedi in his mind.

‘You fell unconscious half a standard hour ago, the girl with you as well.’ Suspicion entered her voice, Obi-Wan could tell, coming out of his musings; two decades had passed since the two of them spoke, yet he could still spot some of her more obvious tells. That thought wasn’t comforting in the slightest: for all his perception on her not diminishing, the chances were high hers on him hadn’t, either, and she was one of the few people who could boast the fact they knew Negotiator beyond his Jedi Master and General facade. Anakin and Qui-Gon were on that list as well, sharing place with Grandmaster of the Order Yoda - which made Satine’s knowledge all that more dangerous, since she wasn’t one with the Force or in Order.

‘I apologise on the inconvenience’, diplomat in Obi-Wan spoke before he could muzzle it. ‘I hope my and Anakin’s absence had not allowed any untoward scheme?’ He finally opened his eyes, the first sight being pale blue-greys belonging to Duchess of Mandalore. Behind her, he spied the light auburn hair belonging to Krystal splayed all over the hospital bunk.

‘Not in so many words, Master Jedi’, Satine answered in the similar tone, her face schooled in a politely blank mask Obi-Wan knew to be fake. ‘My Senator - Tal Merrik - confessed to the deed not ten minutes ago. The girl forced him to do so.’ Ginger-haired man suppressed a sympathetic wince, unsure of the woman’s reception of that gesture. He could definitely relate to the betrayed feeling she was radiating in the Force; after Christophsis and Slick’s defection and subsequent spying and betrayal to Asajj Ventress and her allies, he didn’t took his men’s loyalty for granted anymore, seeking instead to earn it on the battlefield. Only after a moment or so did his mind catch up to the latter part of the sentence.

‘She _forced_ him? I thought - ’

‘Whatever she did’, the corner of Satine’s lips turned downward, ‘knocked you out immediately, but she remained standing. She told us to take care of you, took Tal away and returned him after fifteen minutes, then collapsed herself.’ Obi-Wan gulped, not quite believing his old flame, yet not sensing any deceit from her. The time discrepancy was certainly unsettling and only raised more questions - just how powerful was she and her friends?

‘Stop thinking, Kenobi’, light mezzosopran interrupted his thought process.  Obi-Wan twisted in his sheets to glimpse Krystal raising up on her elbows, watching him with a dancing glimmer in her blue eyes. ‘You’ll just blow your mind for nothing.’

‘Then explain yourself!’ he gestured with his left arm to both of them. ‘Why all of this?’

‘Oh, Obi-Wan.’ There was sincere fondness and nostalgia in her voice, which made him stop dead in his tracks. _Did she know him?_ ‘I’m not allowed to tell you anything until Force says so. However’, she forestalled Jedi’s indignant questions, ‘I am here to finish this blasted war as quickly as possible. You can trust me on that one.’

‘And your friends?’ He still refused to acknowledge Ben’s and Krystal’s address of _daughter_ and _father_ , trying to suppress excitement and hope at her declaration.

‘My family has very personal reasons to join my efforts’, Krystal sighed, staring at the ceiling. ‘They will not stop until they finish this conflict - or die trying.’

‘And you?’ Satine whispered, reminding the duo they were hardly alone in the room. ‘What about you?’

‘I will do anything and everything to see this war over.’ There was a dark promise hidden in the simple sentence, prompting an inhale from Duchess and drain of color from Jedi Master.

 

* * *

 

_Sand was the only thing Anakin could see wherever he looked, confirming his suspicion he was on Tatooine - he would know it anywhere after living on it for nine years. Scowl twisted his handsome face into a mask of disgust, and his eyes roved over the plain landscape, searching for the person who dragged him inside. After a moment, he saw cloaked figure approaching him, a sand storm trailing in his wake yet never engulfing him or dragging down into its’ deadly embrace. Concentrating on the figure, he recognised his Master with no small amount of surprise._

_‘Master?’ he called out, breaking into the energetic jog. The man stopped and lifted his cloak, surprising Anakin: it was a girl with vague resemblance to his Master, but with darker hair and unmistakable tan of a child of desert._

_‘Anakin Skywalker?’ she questioned with wide eyes. ‘How - What -?’_

_‘I-I’m sorry’, Anakin stammered out. ‘I - I thought you were someone else.’ He bowed stiffly, the habit ingrained in him after ten years spent under Obi-Wan’s tutelage. The girl shook her head._

_‘Nothing’, she spoke looking at him like one would look at a ghost. ‘It happens. My Master confuses me with him as well on occasion.’_

_‘Really?’ Embarrassment was quickly dissipating in favor of curiosity and interest, creating a proverbial halo of dancing Force energy around the prophesied Chosen One. ‘May I meet him?’ Girl tilted her head in a familiar manner, smile playing at the edge of her lips._

_‘I don’t think so. He’s far, far away. I don’t even know why we ended up here - unless Force is playing games with my family again of course.’ The phrase stopped him cold._ Playing games _? Where had he heard that before?_

_‘Who are you?’ Girl raised her eyebrows._

_‘You don’t know? I am -’_

The loud beeping of the machines tore Anakin out of what he could only classify as an impossibly realistic vision. He groaned and opened his eyes, taking in the medical bay aboard _Coronet_ . It was pretty standard issue; what truly captured his attention was the man who shared the bay with him - Vader. The Sith name kickstarted a chain of emotions warring inside him, with anger and curiosity at the forefront. Unlike Dooku, Ventress and what he remembered of Maul, he didn’t seem to harbour any ill intent towards Jedi - not even toward his supposed Jedi Master, Ben. On the other hand, however, he radiated Darkness in such quantity, Anakin thought he would drown if he didn’t put at least dozen star systems between them, going against everything Jedi taught him. What’s more, he showed compassion and, dare young Knight say it, _love_ to his son - something he was quite sure Sith were unable to do.

‘Had Obi-Wan not taught you how to shield your mind, Skywalker?’ The rumbling baritone of the man interrupted his train of thought. ‘You are being far too loud, and your emotions are leaking everywhere.’ Scowling, younger man pulled his shielding sky-high, reigning in his emotions and re-fortifying his mind.

‘What is it to you if I think too loud, Sith?’ Anakin spat out, sitting up in his bunk. ‘I’d think you’d be happy with having the advantage.’

‘You are giving me a headache’, was simple and mildly chastising reply from Vader, which only served to humiliate and infuriate hotheaded Jedi further.

‘Why, you - ’ Anakin never got to finish his sentence as medi-droid entered their small cubicle and started fussing around Sith Lord.

‘How are you feeling, sir?’

‘I am quite fine’, Vader snapped at the droid. ‘Your services are unnecessary, droid.’

‘My scanners detect a significant amount of scarring and recent case of exhaustion’, poor droid insisted, which in turn made Vader clench his left arm spasmodically and Darkness to thicken before slowly thinning and dissolving.

‘The scars are none of your business, and the exhaustion does not require patient’s stay in the medbay’, he spoke through clenched teeth, pulling himself up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bunk. ‘There is one more patient you need to assess.’ Anakin shot Vader a dirty look for the diversion tactics he pulled as droid turned his attention on the young Jedi and started fussing around him, leaving Vader to dress himself leisurely in dark grey ensemble that bore uncomfortable resemblance to his own black leather garb. After pronouncing Anakin fit and ready for duty droid left, allowing Anakin to scramble out of his bed and plant himself in front of leaving Vader, arms crossed.

‘What is it _now_?’ Vader’s voice dropped in the low register, air thick with exasperation and anger boiling under the calm and unreadable surface.

‘Are you going to hurt my Master?’ Anakin watched as myriad of microexpressions flashed across older man’s face, settling on blank neutrality.

‘I shall not harm him as long as he does not give me reason to do so.’ With those words Vader pushed past Anakin, leaving him to ponder the cryptic message and surprising ambivalence.

 

* * *

 

Luke’s awakening, by comparison, was not as peaceful as Krystal’s and Vader’s: he woke up with Red Guards pointing their shockstaffs in his face and Sidious ordering him to be arrested. It was only due to the presence of Masters Yoda and Windu that he got out of the jail and transferred directly to the private part of Halls of Healing inside Jedi Temple. There, he was subjected to a gruelling experience of Vokara Che and her tender care coupled with not-so-subtle interrogation by Vapaad inventor and Grandmaster of the Order. Fortunately, his head was spinning too much from the sheer concentration of the Light surrounding him to offer any coherent answers, which prompted Master Healer, misunderstanding his lightheadedness and drunken-like answers as a head injury, to unceremoniously toss two Councilors out of Luke’s rooms under pretext of her patient needing rest and hit him with a mild relaxant. About half an hour later, Luke was feeling much better and was able to find his center with relative ease. That pleased the Healer pottering around him immensely.

‘Are you feeling better, Luke?’

‘Much better, Master Che’, Luke smiled lopsidedly, wringing his hands. ‘I think I can talk with Master Windu and Master Yoda now.’ Twi’lek smiled grimly.

‘I’m afraid the matter has reached the High Council during your naptime. They are demanding your presence in the Council Chamber as soon as possible.’ Luke groaned and gingerly stood up, testing his balance and finding it adequate. He ignored the sudden dizziness, familiar with the feeling.

‘Force save me the ire of the Council’, blonde joked as he dressed in the familiar Jedi garb: tunics, tabards, obi, pants, boots. ‘Pray for me, Master Che?’

‘Only if you don’t purposefully try to anger them’, Vokara shot back, unable to contain a smile at the grimace Luke pulled.

‘No promises, but I’ll try.’

‘Do or do not; there’s no try’, she quoted and Luke laughed brightly as he exited and set off to the Council Chambers. After a minute or so, he arrived at the turbolift and realized he had no idea where was he supposed to go. The save came in the form of a young familiar Togrutan Padawan who jogged his way.

‘Hey!’ Luke called out. ‘I got a little confused: where’s the Council Chamber?’

‘OhImgoingthereaswellandIm _solate_ \- ’

‘Slow down!’ Luke covered his mouth with his hand not to offend fellow Padawan with his smile. ‘You are late for...’

‘Council meeting’, she panted palming the turbolift door open and stepping inside, Luke following her. ‘You too?’

‘Yeah, they ‘requested my presence’.’ Togrutan giggled, her montrals swaying.

‘That sounds familiar. They’re going to yell at you, right?’ Luke nodded. ‘They do that to my Master too.’

‘Who’s your Master?’

‘Skyguy - Anakin Skywalker’, she explained, misinterpreting Luke’s flabbergasted expression as confusion. Luke’s shock had an entirely different reason: seeing Fulcrum as a Padawan around the same age as him, maybe a little younger, was a confusing and altogether unsettling experience. Now he could understand why Krystal never spoke of the things she had seen in the future before, opting to share them only with her Master: sheer power in knowledge of the past happenings was a heady and unpleasant feeling, making Luke question why had they done that in the first place. He grimaced remembering the tomb of Darth Bane and Krystal’s ominous words: _If I go there, I won’t ever go out._ Now those words had a completely different meaning; if they managed to prevent his father’s Fall and Order’s destruction, what will happen to him and Krystal? Will they even exist in this realm of existence? His mind preoccupied with those thoughts, he completely missed the journey between the medbay and Council Chamber, pulling out only when Fulcrum - _Padawan Tano for Force’s sake, Skywalker!_ \- elbowed his none too gently, alerting him to his position in front of imposing set of doors.

‘A credit for your thoughts, stranger?’

‘Luke’, he automatically corrected her. ‘And only a credit?’ F- _Ahsoka_ laughed.

‘You’re funny guy - kinda like Skyguy.’ She pushed him forward. ‘Go on.’ Luke laughed with no real mirth and pushed doors open, walking through them and stopping nearly instantly, forcing Ahsoka to stop dead in her tracks to avoid embarrassing collisions.

‘What?’ she hissed in low voice. Luke couldn’t make himself answer her, too busy being enraptured by the sheer power of Light residing in the room.

‘Padawan Tano, Luke’, Jedi Master Mace Windu leaned forward, his elbows on his thighs. ‘Come forward.’ Luke blindly walked to the center of the room and bowed after a moment, belatedly remembering lessons Master Ben drummed in his head concerning etiquette. He felt more than saw Ahsoka mirroring him, standing a step behind and to the right, which nearly sent him into a fit of laughter. Mace’s face and general set in the shoulders of the present Councillors quickly pulled him out of the laughing mood, however as he noticed a hologram of his Master’s younger version sitting in his seat.

‘Interesting look on your face you have, Jedi Luke.’ And there went Master Yoda and his signature speech pattern.

‘I’m just overwhelmed, Master Yoda’, Luke answered with serene smile he had seen on his Master and his Master’s Master one time too many. ‘I had forgotten how strong Light can be.’ Curiosity bounced through the Chamber.

‘You had _forgotten_ , _Jedi_ Luke?’ _You really don’t change much, Master Windu_ , Luke marvelled as he took a moment to answer the question.

‘Yes, I have.’ Leaving the Councillors to mull over his answer, Luke took a polite step back, stepping in line with Ahsoka and grabbing her wrist when she tried to copy him.

‘I’m a Padawan too’, he murmured from the corner of his mouth. Ahsoka instantly relaxed and remained in her place. The rest of the Council did not fail to notice Luke’s action.

‘How can a Jedi forget such a thing?’ Ki-Adi-Mundi wanted to know, his holographic image portraying his curiosity. Luke shrugged.

‘It’s only ever been my Master, his Master, his Padawan and me, and only Grandmaster and I could be truly called Light. Master and Krys are more Balance than Light.’

‘You’re a Padawan?’ It was Saesee Tiin who voiced the question hanging in the room. Luke smiled ruefully, playing with the borrowed tunic’s hem.

‘To Jedi Order, I suppose. Master and I prefer term ‘disciple’.’

‘Disciple of what, exactly?’ Mace Windu’s expression was stormy.

‘ _He’s a disciple of Living Force_ ’, came an answer from an unexpected source. Everyone turned to look at Obi-Wan Kenobi.

‘Met Jedi Luke you have, Master Kenobi’, Yoda stated. Luke smiled and bowed his head towards the Councillor, and Obi-Wan blushed.

‘ _I wouldn’t call that a meeting, precisely_ ’, Obi-Wan grumbled. ‘ _I’m still not quite sure it wasn’t a hallucination._ ’ Luke rolled his blue eyes skyward.

‘I’ll never complain again, Master’, he muttered. Louder;

‘There are no secrets in Synchronisation Chamber, Master Kenobi. _No secrets_.’ Kenobi paled.

‘ _Prove it_ ’, he whispered.

‘Ceres’, Luke simply said. ‘Bruck Chun. Siri Tachi. Satine Kryze. Qui-Gon Jinn. _Anakin Skywalker._ ’

‘ _Stop it!_ ’ Youngest Councillor pressed his palms over his ears. ‘ _I believe you!_ ’

‘Torture, way of the Jedi is not, Jedi Luke’, Yoda scolded. Luke shrugged unapologetically.

‘He’s been torturing himself’, he explained, crossing arms over his chest. ‘I’m only making him face it.’ Ahsoka tugged him from behind, stepping in Luke’s line of sight, fury leaking off of her. Shocked silence fell over the room

‘You have no right! Master Obi-Wan - ’ she shouted, leaning in his face. Luke’s right arm shot out and gripped Ahsoka’s shoulder, stopping her and keeping her at a distance.

‘Jedi are not perfect, Padawan Tano’, Luke whispered in a dead silence. ‘And Master Kenobi has even more imperfections than most. Yet...’ he released her and stepped back. ‘His failures made him who he is - as will yours you, Ahsoka Tano.’ He met Obi-Wan’s gaze, silver clashing with azure blue, blue brimming with unshed tears, silver trembling with remembrance. Auburn-haired man nodded with shaky smile, and blonde smiled in understanding.

‘Think, Master Jedi’, Luke spoke, the quiet only broken by his voice. ‘I told you I had forgotten the strength of Light Side. Why had that happened?’ He bowed to them respectfully and turned around, dismissing himself.

‘Wait!’ Ahsoka shouted after the retreating boy. ‘What did you mean by ‘as will yours you’?!’ Luke stopped before the set of doors.

‘I meant what I said, Ahsoka Tano, Padawan of Anakin Skywalker’, he answered, cracks showing in his voice. ‘Take it how you will.’ And with those words, he left twelve Masters and one Padawan to ponder his words.

 

* * *

 

When the doors closed, Ahsoka broke down and fell on her knees, breathing heavily. A soft tapping echoed through the room as Master Yoda stood up and hobbled over to youngling he had once taught.

‘Calm, Padawan Tano’, the elderly Master crooned, sitting cross-legged beside young Togruta.

‘ _Ahsoka_ ’, Obi-Wan called from his chair. ‘ _Look at me._ ’ Ahsoka did not obey immediately; only after she managed to steady her breathing did she look up into her Grandmaster’s face. She felt surprise and warmth flutter in her heart at the soft smile older man sported and spark in his eyes, visible even over holocom.

‘ _We’re Jedi, Young One_ ’, he said with his soothing Coruscanti accent. ‘ _That does not make us perfect nor infallible._ ’

‘Truthful, if blunt, Jedi Luke was’, Yoda murmured. ‘Perfect, we are not. Infallible, we are not. Omnipotent, _we are not_ .’ Diminutive creature sighed. ‘Blind, _complacent_ , we have become.’

‘That does not mean he’s allowed to behave however he likes’, Mace commented, frowning.

‘I think we should hear him out’, Kit Fisto suggested, ‘and then decide what to do.’

‘ _Would the Council be willing to wait until Anakin and I return?_ ’ Obi-Wan asked, leaning forward. ‘ _We have two of Luke’s friends onboard, and I think he’ll be much more willing to talk with familiar faces nearby._ ’ His fellow Councillors exchanged a look then in unison pointed their eyes on the Grandmaster of the Order.

‘Good point, Master Kenobi raises’, green troll spoke after a few moments of deliberation. ‘Wait we shall. Come’, he gently prodded young Togruta. ‘Meditate together, we shall.’ Ahsoka stood up on shaky legs and followed Yoda out. The rest of the Council disbanded quietly, until only Mace and Obi-Wan remained in the room.

‘ _You’re worried, Mace_ ’, Obi-Wan noted.

‘This boy is my worry’, Mace snapped. ‘He’s an unknown, Obi-Wan.’

‘ _I know, but hear me out. I think he has a personal reason for doing what he does._ ’

‘And how do you know this to be true?’ Obi-Wan relaxed and shifted in his seat.

‘ _I spoke with one of his friends - Krystal. She said something to that effect._ ’ A sigh escaped Korunnai master.

‘I tried to see his shatterpoints.’

‘ _And?_ ’

‘They were flickering in and out of existence. I’ve never seen like it before. It’s almost like Force doesn’t know what to do with him.’ Silence that followed the declaration was filled with resignation and wariness.

‘ _That doesn’t sound good._ ’

‘No, Obi-Wan. It doesn’t.’


	5. Of returns and shocking details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin and Obi-Wan had thought they'd seen everything that is strange from Ben, Krystal, Vader and Luke: meeting in Temple hangar bays will certainly prove them wrong. Poor Mace Windu: Skywalkers and Kenobis are really terrible for one's blood pressure...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lay the blame for the lateness of this chapter solely on school - it's a devil's invention. :)  
> This chapter was finished thanks to sudden lack of exams (teachers being lazy and forgetful), Christina Grimmie's  Invisible and Don't Panic from X-Men: Apocalypse soundtrack - thank Force they exist!

Ben and Count Dooku stood feet apart, looking the other in the eye. Jedi broke the silence first.

‘I’m sorry war had gone on so long, Lord Tyranus.’ Once-Jedi bowed his head in acknowledgement of the apology.

‘I am sorry as well, Master Jedi.’ He offered his hand, which Ben accepted without any hesitation. ‘May the Force be with you and your family… _Ben_.’

‘And with you and your associates… _Yan_ .’ Saluting each other with their lightsabers - one blue, the other red - two parted their ways, simultaneously turning their backs on each other. The droids on the _Invisible Hand_ watched the proceedings with no comment, which could not be said for Count Dooku’s companion, pale and bald Dathomirian woman dressed in revealing clothes, sporting dual curved lightsabers.

‘You will simply let him go, Master?’ she asked the nobleman as he drew closer to her post next to the turbolift, eyeing the Jedi as he approached an unmarked transport ship in the hangar bay.

‘He poses no direct threat to us, Ventress’, Tyranus rumbled and turned to watch Ben initiate pre-flight checks, his mouth curving up. ‘He’s nothing like the Jedi you’ve run across.’

‘But he _is_ a Jedi’, she continued, undeterred by her master’s lack of real response. ‘They are allies of the Republic, and enemies of Sith - our enemies.’ Dooku nodded in agreement.

‘Jedi of the Coruscanti Order certainly are our enemies, and they will be dealt with’, he reassured his assassin as the transport lifted off smoothly, if a little stiltedly, and exited the hangar bay. ‘Ben, however… he once was such a Jedi, but no more. As long as he and his family do not get into our way, they will be spared.’ Asajj Ventress eyed Tyranus with suspiciousness.

‘You are fond of him’, she accused in a hushed voice, taking care not to be overheard by any of the nearby working droids. ‘Like you were fond of Kenobi.’

‘In some ways he reminds me of him’, Count of Serenno admitted after a lengthy pause. ‘And of my former apprentice Qui-Gon Jinn as well.’ He paused to truly look at her. ‘You are unnerved by him.’

‘He behaves like Kenobi’, she spat out the surname of the man she detested so much. ‘I don’t trust him.’ Dooku smiled benevolently, motioning for the turbolift doors to open and gesturing her to follow him inside.

‘My dear Asajj, neither do I.’ He pressed the button for the command centre. ‘But he is not the primary threat - for now.’

* * *

 

Obi-Wan and Anakin managed to get to the Coruscant and off the _Coronet_ without any further troubles, Krystal and Vader trailing after them with differing expressions on their faces. The girl had a look of wonder and amazement on her face, her eyes closed and breathing deeply; Sith, on the other hand, kept his face blank and shields high, with only the twitch of his mouth revealing his unease.

‘There’s so much _Light_ here’, Krystal enthused, her palm outstretched and cupped in a shape of a bowl, as if holding an invisible ball of energy - which she did, Obi-Wan noted with raised eyebrows as he gazed at her through the lens of the Force.

‘Yet Darkness is poisoning it from inside out’, Vader murmured, arms crossed. ‘Sidious knows how to hide himself well.’ Krystal furrowed her brow, flexing her fingers out and releasing the ball.

‘You’re right.’ She twitched her nose in distaste. ‘At least it’s not like… you know. After _that_ mess.’ Vader did not comment, yet Obi-Wan got a feeling he understood her completely and agreed with her - which brought unease into Anakin’s and, Obi-wan suspected, his own stance. Sith Lord suddenly zoned out for a moment, then came back with a sigh.

‘Your father is coming’, Vader informed his female companion, who brightened in an instant.

‘No troubles with Dooku?’ she inquired, posture perking up. Vader shrugged.

‘None I could detect.’ Krystal smiled and turned back to Councillor.

‘Shall we go, Master Kenobi?’ The abruptness of the question startled Obi-Wan, yet he managed to draw on his mask of serenity and give a short nod.

‘Yes, yes we shall. Council is waiting for us. They have your young friend in the Temple.’

‘Luke is in the Temple?’ Vader slithered closer without anyone noticing, voice hinting at the eagerness.

‘He is’, Obi-Wan confirmed, shifting slightly away: he never felt particularly comfortable around the strange Sith, and with Anakin passing on his message he tried even harder to stay out of Vader’s way. ‘Council agreed to withhold questioning him until we return.’

‘And the situation on Mandalore?’ _Damn that girl_ , Obi-Wan thought with exasperation; she was far too inquisitive and observant for her own good.

‘I’m afraid it is out of our hands’, auburn-haired Jedi admitted, gesturing for the duo to follow him to the edge of the landing platform, where Anakin waited in the speeder. ‘Senate will decide what to make of it.’

‘Without the input of the Jedi Council?’ was Krystal’s near instant question. Vader answered that one before Obi-Wan.

‘Jedi have no formal representative in the Senate Rotunda’, he explained, baritone voice surprisingly patient. ‘Council of Reconciliation are the only permanent link between Jedi Order and Senate, and they are not known to attend Senate meetings.’ Krystal worried her lower lip, crossing her arms as she sat down in the speeder, eyes slightly crossed, belying her immersion in her thoughts.

‘That’s not good’, she declared after several moments of silence. ‘Jedi Order fights in this war _for_ the Republic, right? And before that, they served as the representatives of the Republic government. They should have some say in what is going on. Right?’ Anakin snorted from the pilot’s seat.

‘And that’s the biggest problem. Trouble on some Force-forsaken planet? Send the Jedi. Republic entering the war? Call the Jedi to serve as Generals and Commanders. They don’t even bother to ask nicely these days - like we’re....’ He didn’t finish that thought: Obi-Wan shot a reprimanding look at his former Padawan, but could find no fault in his words.

‘Senate lapdogs seems to be an apt description in this case, Master Kenobi’, Vader spoke in flat tone, reminding Obi-Wan of Satine’s indignation before he revealed the true origins of his mission to Mandalore, and filled in an uncomfortable blank. Krystal pursed her lips, tense: she could obviously sense what went unsaid but didn’t pry, much to Obi-Wan’s relief - he knew he wouldn’t be able to deal with Anakin’s reaction if the word was ever spoken out loud, and Vader appeared to share the sentiment. The company in the speeder fell silent and no more words were exchanged for the duration of the trip to the Jedi Temple. Upon entering the docking bay, four Force users found themselves facing an entire welcoming committee: Yoda, Mace Windu and Vokara Che in the front, backed by Bant Eerin and Luke hanging in the back.

‘Master Yoda! Master Windu, Master Che!’ Obi-Wan greeted them in surprise, stepping out. He understood the trio, soon to be quartet were a mystery, but Head Healer, Grandmaster and one of the eldest Councillors? Krystal and Vader disembarked as well, their eyes trained on the blonde mop of the hair behind Mace Windu.

‘Luke!’ Krystal called and set off with no warning, running to her friend who responded in kind: they met halfway in between two groups, falling into an embrace, their emotions of _reliefgratitudehappiness_ leaking through their shielding. Jedi nearly gaped, shock permeating the Force surrounding them; Vader on the other hand averted his eyes and refused to look at the pair.

‘You’re alright’, girl whispered, but with silence in the room her voice still carried. ‘Did he...?’

‘No worries Krys’, he took a small step back, so that only their hands rested on other’s shoulders. ‘Masters Yoda and Windu took care of me. Although waking up to shockstaffs is certainly new’, he joked weakly and Krystal’s mouth spasmed upward.

‘Fool’, she murmured and took a step back herself, separating from Luke entirely. Vader snatched the moment to approach Luke, laying his hand on Luke’s shoulder.

‘Father’, Luke acknowledged the gesture, turning his face up to his father’s.

‘Son’, Vader replied, heedless of the rest of the room’s occupants. ‘Are you _truly_ fine?’ Luke just smiled.

‘I had nothing to fear from the Jedi.’ That was apparently enough for the Sith, but not for the rest of the Jedi.

‘Father?’

* * *

 

Mace Windu was _not_ in a good mood, to say the least. The mysterious Jedi Luke’s appearance combined with ongoing war and tetchy relationship Order had with Senate pushed the Master of the Order to the very edge of endurance and patience; this revelation was the last straw.

‘Father?’ he repeated the single-word question. Luke glanced up to Vader; Obi-Wan and Anakin shifted slightly, prompting dark-skinned man to focus on the pair.

‘You knew.’ Two-word sentence was heavy with accusation: _how could they not have told them before? Why keep such a thing quiet? Why is Vader not in chains?_ Kenobi looked down, unwilling to maintain eye contact: Skywalker on the other hand locked it firmly, but placed his gloved hand on the lightsaber hanging off his belt.

‘We thought it wasn’t important’, Skywalker admitted after an unnerving and tension-wrecked silence. ‘Getting them here without them wreaking further havoc aboard Duchess Satine’s ship was our priority.’

‘Further havoc, young Skywalker?’ Yoda inquired, hobbling up to Krystal who slid down on her knees without any expression on her face, lowering herself so she could look the aging Grandmaster in the eyes. ‘Trouble, you say?’

‘It was necessary, Master Yoda’, Krystal spoke in a hushed voice. ‘If you knew what we’ve seen - what we’ve felt -’ she broke off as Luke knelt beside her, motioning Vader to come closer.

‘Immaterial, your reasons are. _Actions_ , what matters are’, Yoda replied, hint of scolding entering his voice.

‘Do not presume you are wiser than we are, _Master_ Yoda’, Vader rumbled, his gait unnaturally stiff and anger filtering through rather heavy shields, Mace noted as he carefully peered through his secondary eyes to spot his shatterpoints. Unlike his _son’s_ \- Mace still had difficult time accepting the fact someone so strong with Light, no matter how heretic his notions were, could be a child of someone so Dark - Vader’s shatterpoints gave him less headache: they were flickering slightly, but they seemed to converge mostly on his son, red-haired man in hermit robes he could only catch glimpses of, and the girl kneeling in front of Master Yoda who he didn’t dare look at, trying to delay the inevitable headache he knew was coming his way.

‘You may be Grandmaster’, Darksider continued, heedless of Korun Master’s scrutiny, ‘but you know _nothing of us_.’

‘Presume, I do not, Darth Vader’, Yoda calmly said, moving up to Krystal so he could peer into her eyes, a gesture she returned with a soft grimace. After a moment he hobbled few steps back, wonder written in his wrinkled features. ‘ _See_ , I do.’

‘Don’t’, Krystal pleaded, shaking her head. ‘They are not to know until Force says so.’

‘Like me to lie, you would?’

‘Absolutely not’, she exclaimed, leaning closer. ‘Just-just keep it quiet, alright? If we fail...’

‘Hmm.’ Yoda leaned heavily on his gimmer stick, chin on top of his crossed hands, eyes only for the young human female. ‘Told your family, you have not?’ Krystal bit her lip; Luke sent her a supportive wave through the Force and inched closer to her, sensing chaotic swirl of conflicting emotions in her.

‘Father knows’, she confessed. ‘But the other one… no. Father found me just after… There was no time to tell’, she hastily corrected her sentence as she felt the spike of alarm from Luke and Vader. Mace growled inwardly, nerves frayed with the whole cat-and-mouse game they played regarding personal information, but Yoda sent a soothing wave, one word lacing through it: _Peace_. That made the Vapaad Master back down, although he still shot suspicious looks at the strange trio. Taking the sudden silence as a sign things were temporarily calm, Bant stepped forward, huge unblinking eyes typical for Mon Calamari fixed on Kenobi.

‘Obi-Wan’, she greeted, arms outstretched. Jedi Master did not hesitate as he stepped straight into her arms.

‘Bant’, he murmured. ‘I thought you were deployed somewhere?’ he asked as he detached himself from his old friend, gesturing Anakin closer and ignoring the sensation of eyes boring into the back of his skull.

‘I was, but I got reassigned here’, she smiled, unwilling to completely let of of him as she grabbed his hand. ‘Are you hurt?’ Obi-Wan chuckled and shook his head.

‘I’m fine Bant’, he reassured her, pretending he didn’t hear Anakin’s whispered _for once_. Unfortunately Mon Calamari Healer and Head Healer did not.

‘Master Kenobi’, Vokara Che began with stern expression on her face, prompting the auburn-haired man to raise his hands in surrender and shoot disbelieving look at his former Padawan at the perceived betrayal, which only earned him a cheeky grin.

‘The medidroid checked _both_ myself and Anakin onboard _Coronet_ ’, he emphasised the word ‘both’ and got a chance to see blonde man squirm as the laser gaze of Twi'lek Healer transferred to him, ‘and declared us fit for service. We will not be your guests this time around, Master Che.’

‘You’d better not’, Twi’lek warned them, smile playing at the edge of her lips. ‘And your companions?’ She directed her question at Krystal and Vader, who snorted (or in Vader’s case, made a noise that could be vaguely understood as a snort).

‘Medidroids were all over us the moment we awoke’, Vader rumbled, crossing his arms. ‘Nothing aside from slight exhaustion and scarring we picked up during our lives.’

‘Don’t worry Master Che’, Krystal threw a smirk in Luke’s direction, ‘not all of us turn into blubbering mess moment they step into stronghold of Light.’

‘Hey, no fair!’ Luke protested. ‘Uncle Owen didn’t want to let me anywhere near Ossus, or Tython!’ Krystal shrugged unrepentantly, still smirking at the blonde boy, who twitched and fixed her with an intense glare. Moment later Vader flicked his wrist and Luke flinched as if slapped.

‘Language, son’, Sith murmured, not even bothering to spare his offspring a glance. ‘We are from the same planet; I can understand Huttese _perfectly_.’

‘Told you he’d catch it, _di’kut_ ’, Krystal muttered, tracing shapes with her fingers absentmindedly in the duracrete floor. She flinched in almost eerie reflection of Luke’s movement seconds later, but Mace couldn’t trace any movement back to Sith Lord.

‘Krys’ father’, Luke answered Council Master’s unspoken question, rubbing the back of his head ruefully. ‘He doesn’t like foul words, but Mando’a curses tend to provoke rather… un-Jedi reactions from him.’ Vader tsked, annoyance hanging around him like a cloud.

‘He still has _attachment_ to her?’

‘I never stopped, former Padawan mine’, cool Coruscanti voice not dissimilar to Kenobi’s sounded from the entrance to the Temple’s hangar bays, prompting the motley group to focus on the newcomer - grey-haired, slightly tanned, not overly tall and dressed vaguely like a Jedi, the man exuded the aura of peace and balance most Jedi could only dream about; which beget only one question in dark-skinned, bald Jedi Master’s mind: _how could he have raised Darth Vader?_

* * *

 

‘I never stopped, former Padawan mine.’ Luke wanted to cry at the sound of his Master’s voice as he approached them. Son of Anakin Skywalker could spy an inconspicuous ship of Sienar design but couldn’t recognise it: his father, on the other hand, seemed quite familiar with it.

‘Borrowing ships from clankers, old man?’ Vader shot an opening volley, and Ben did not disappoint in his dry reply:

‘At least I don’t crash-land them whilst flying them on Coruscant, unlike certain people.’ Vader and Ben were grinning like a pair of schoolboys, obviously recalling an amusing episode of their lives before -

‘Wait, that incident in the Works was _you_ , Father?!’ He couldn’t withhold his shock, remembering it from his history classes. Granted, it was written in a way that vilified the Jedi Order for causing the damage of truly astronomical proportions, but the fact his father had crashed half the Dreadnaught - the inoperable part, mind you - without any serious damage to infrastructure and civilians was truly a marvel.

‘Yes, that was him’, Ben had his arms placed over his belly, gentle smile softening his desert-roughened features and de-aging him: in that moment, Luke could readily believe he had once been a media darling together with his father. ‘And then he had the nerve to pull Cato Neimoidia on me.’ Krystal whistled in awe.

‘You did?’ she asked Vader, eyes wide, and taller man nodded, radiating smugness. _What is so important about Cato Neimoidia?_ Luke sent ginger girl the question. _It’s their equivalent to our Lothal_ , she distractedly replied, still watching Sith. Luke winced, recalling the incident. _Low blow?_

 _Very much so_.

‘I think we’ve lingered here long enough’, Mace uneasily spoke after several moments. Ben and Vader nodded in unison, and Obi-Wan and Anakin were in visible agreement. Luke hopped up and offered Krystal a helping hand, which she playfully batted away as she rose in a drawn-out stretch, allowing her joints to click and exhaling.

‘Force, it’s been a while’, she complained, massaging her shoulder. ‘Mind helping me out, Lukie?’

‘Sure, no problem.’ Blonde boy eyed others with decidedly shifty glint in his eyes. ‘What will you do with us?’ He asked Master Yoda, whose face revealed no clues to his emotional state. Mace looked lost in thoughts, Anakin’s sabacc face cracking with flashes of emotions, Obi-Wan looked like someone had carved him out of stone, and Ben and Vader simultaneously raised an eyebrow.

‘Question is valid’, Anakin offered hesitantly. Yoda hummed in agreement.

‘Unknown, your abilities are to us’, elderly Master sent a meaningful look in Krystal and Luke’s direction. ‘Said, help us, you want.’ Four time travelers nodded. ‘Help us win this war, can you?’ Krystal bit her lip.

‘I’d rather not go out in the field’, she said, her face flushed. ‘I’ll be a liability.’

‘So would I’, Luke grimaced. ‘I adore flying, but battlefront isn’t the place for me.’

‘And why?’ Obi-Wan blurted out. Krystal sighed and started playing with her hands.

‘I’m extremely prone to visions. Past, future, present, alternates - I’ve had them all, and they are not wont to follow schedules.’ She furrowed her eyebrows. ‘I could be in the middle of a shoot-out and have a vision.’

‘You’d end up dead’, Windu wasn’t being cagey about his estimation.

‘True. Luke, he has a different problem.’

‘I’m sensitive to deaths’, Luke explained after a short pause and mental nudges Krystal and Ben sent him through the Force. ‘Living Force is beautiful - but it connects _all_ living beings, and it feels every death rather… _strongly_.’ Every Force-user flinched as the implication of Luke’s words sunk in.

‘But… then Coruscant must feel like -!’ Luke cut off Vokara Che’s exclamation.

‘Usually, I maintain high shields when comes to deaths, but in battle...’ he turned his head away. ‘I’d open up to the Force and run dab smack in the cacophony of screams - I’d essentially incapacitate myself, either by falling unconscious or having a rather nasty fit.’ Ben flinched, balling up his hands and relaxing them.

‘And you two?’ Windu turned to the older pair. Ben shrugged and Vader straightened up, towering even more over the assembled group.

‘I have no particular preferences, although I am rather good in strategizing’, was grey-and-auburn haired man’s neutral answer.

‘I’m very good at high-risk missions’, Vader said with no inflection in his tone. Two senior Councillors exchanged a quick glance, a blink-and-you-miss-it conversation which ended in Mace Windu offering his hand to Ben and Vader.

‘Welcome to the Grand Army of Republic.’ After a brief handshake, he turned to the younger pair, crossing his arms and tucking them into his sleeves.

‘And what about you?’ Krystal and Luke looked at each other; identical mischievous grins graced their features after a moment, making Ben pale slightly and Vader frown.

‘Give us the Senate’, Krystal was grinning like a nerfherder on spice, and Luke wasn’t that much better. ‘We’ll be your Jedi Senators, and end this Force-forsaken war exactly where it started - _on Coruscant_.’ Sudden quiet was only broken by Yoda’s cackling laughter as he leaned even more on his gimmer stick.

‘Trouble you are, young Krystal, young Luke. Change, you bring.’ Luke gave him a sunny smile which promised mayhem and chaos in nearby future for the objects of his thoughts.

‘Genetics I’m afraid, Master Yoda. The blame rest solely with our parents.’ That comment earned him a never-before seen sight of spluttering Jedi Master Ben Kenobi and Sith Lord Darth Vader, formerly Anakin Skywalker, nearly purple in apoplectic fit of rage and indignation.

‘ _We are not!_ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:  
>  _di'kut_ \- idiot, moron


	6. Clearing the air and figuring things out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though it doesn't feel like it, the galaxy did not stop spinning, not even for the time-travelers. However, they do manage to find some time to clear the air and start anew - and fix some old mistakes along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The format in this chapter has changed slightly as suggested by [anesor](http://archiveofourown.org/users/anesor/pseuds/anesor), so go check out her works! Once again, I love your comments, and so does this work's muse. :D

Luke and Krystal were a devastating combination, Vader was forced to admit as he watched them talk shop with Obi-Wan and Yoda, trying to figure out how to appear in front of Senate and ‘make them see reason’, as his son put it. Seeing his old Master and son on Korriban had been jarring, but seeing Anakin and Obi-Wan interact so comfortably without an elephant in the room that was Mustafar duel put this experience firmly in the first spot of all the weird things Force had thrown at him.

‘They are something else, aren’t they?’ Ben murmured in his ear, eyes fixed on his daughter.

‘They are’, Sith agreed reluctantly, turning to the aging man. ‘Who is her mother?’

Ben sighed, stroking his beard and reflecting his younger self so much, Vader had to swallow an instinctive urge to tease him about the habit and draw on the nebulous cloud of Darkness woven into Coruscant’s atmosphere: Anakin Skywalker’s antics were drawing closer to the surface the longer he spent in his old Master’s company.

‘That’s not my story to tell’, Jedi finally said. ‘Suffice to say, she should not even exist.’

That ignited self-righteous fire in the younger of the pair.

‘You’d rather she’s dead?’ Vader hissed, taking care not to be overheard by any of the nearby Jedi.

‘Of course not!’ Ben hissed right back, surprising his former Padawan and shocking him into silence. ‘Her birth may have been unnatural, but I cannot thank the Force enough for giving me her! I would’ve gone insane without her light!’

Vader could not find any scathing comments seeing fire he thought Ben not capable for.

‘I doubt you’d have gone completely insane, old man’, Sith Lord finally spoke after a pause. ‘You’d have Luke to train.’ There was a note of scorn and resentment in his tone, and Ben did not fail to pick up upon it.

‘You’d be surprised, Vader.’ Ben crossed his arms and turned away, missing a flash of surprise on Vader’s face at being addressed by his Sith title. ‘Owen wouldn’t let me anywhere near Luke. I wouldn’t have insisted - Luke would have been safer without knowing - but Krystal was lonely so Beru allowed us to visit. One day he saw her lifting rocks and, well’, he shrugged. ‘I could not say no to those eyes.’ _Just like I could never say no to you,_ was the underlying message man who once went by name Anakin heard loud and clear. ‘Now let me ask a question.’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Why am I not dead yet?’

Vader would’ve laughed out loud had the question not been spoken with quiet conviction of a man resigned to his fate and the fact Luke and Krystal seemed to be eavesdropping on their conversation, judging by the sudden but minute stiffening in their postures. Ben had noticed it not a second later and laid careful, but to all observers casual hand on Vader’s shoulder, giving him a silent nudge to step somewhere their conversation was less likely to be overheard, even if nosy busybodies in this case didn’t mean any harm. Blonde-and-grey man accepted the guidance but shifted his body away from his old Master’s, maintaining the image of two men who allied out of necessity, not of true feelings of camaraderie. After finding the spot he deemed was safe enough from accidental and deliberate spying, Ben removed his hand and stepped straight into Vader’s personal space, lowering his head and pitch of his voice to further muddle following chat.

‘Talk. Krystal and Luke can’t listen in unless they use Force, and I’ll know it the moment they try.’

Vader nodded and took a small breath to calm down and organize his thoughts.

‘I hated you, Kenobi’, Sith started with a frank truth, and Ben nodded in recognition. ‘I thought you turned Padmé against me and inadvertently made me murder my wife and my child, then left me on Mustafar to _die_.’ Jedi did not deny any of those accusations, electing to stay silent and let his old friend talk it out. Vader took another deep breath, relishing the absence of pain in the motion and continued.

‘After I calmed down, I realised there were some things that did not align. If you’d turned her against me, why would she come? Why was she so surprised when she saw you exiting? Why were you so protective of her? If I had murdered her on Mustafar, why would you wait two standard days to return her for state funereal on Naboo?’ He paused slightly. ‘I wondered, old man. I started searching the galaxy, for _you,_ not only to exact vengeance, but to find out the truth as well; and with Threepio and Artoo’s memory banks easily tampered with and the skiff’s log wiped out, you were my only lead.’

Vader stopped there and looked at Ben, expecting a good answer but not hoping for much, recalling his habitual caginess in revealing truth, often resorting to telling it ‘from a certain point of view’. Ben closed his eyes and exhaled.

‘Very well. You were right: I had told Padmé about the massacre in the Temple, but she wouldn’t tell where were you, so I stowed away; a poor decision in retrospect.’ He paused, choosing the words carefully, aware of the thin ice he was walking on. ‘After I - _we_ finished our duel’, he stuttered over the thought of what he had done to his once-brother, ‘I took her and ship to Polis Massa asteroid station, hoping the doctors there would be able to help her. When I brought her in, she was starting to go into labor, and her state was critical: she was dying, and neither droids nor I could find any physical reason why. For the child’s sake, we induced labor and Padmé agreed. She named her son Luke actually, she managed to stay with us long enough’, Ben chuckled wearily. ‘What we didn’t know however, was that she was carrying twins, a girl she named Leia. After that, she told me there was still good in you, and slipped away right in front of my eyes.’

This piece of information knocked the air out of Vader’s lungs. He had a boy _and_ a girl? Both he and Padmé were right?

‘How does she look like?’ Sith demanded, starved for the information about his children.

Ben smiled bitterly. ‘You already know’, he said, dreading the reaction. ‘It’s Princess Leia of Alderaan.’

The silence following the proclamation was filled with tension and barely reigned rage as Vader valiantly recalled everything Krystal taught him of Physical Force and forced his emotions away, desperately scrambling for some semblance of control. Ben did not say anything, sensing the turmoil and wisely choosing to stay quiet until his former friend found his equilibrium. That moment came slowly, yet too quickly, and was fueled with simmering anger and resignation.

‘You separated them.’ _Why_ was the unspoken question in Vader’s voice.

‘Force-sensitive twins amplify each other’, Ben reminded him gently. ‘Like Tiplar and Tiplee. Separated, they were more likely to pass under your Master’s radar.’

‘Why send Leia to Alderaan?’ Vader wanted to know. ‘That close to Imper- Coruscant’, he amended.

Ben sighed, relaxing slightly when he sensed the waning storm in Sith Lord’s emotional state. ‘She has natural shields, the likes of which I had never seen before. She was capable of protecting herself without our help. Luke’, he shook his head. ‘He broadcasted his signature to the entire quadrant. The risk was too high - that and I remembered you’d sworn never to come to Tatooine again, so I took him there to your family.’

Vader nodded, recalling his brief visit there before the start of Clone Wars and meeting his step-brother Owen and his fiancee Beru. ‘They took good care of him?’

‘They did’, Ben smiled for the first time since their reunion on Korriban. ‘They even kept your surname, and never made him think they were his parents. The only lie they ever told about you was that you were a freighter pilot - which was not a complete lie, knowing which ship you preferred’, he joked.

Vader crossed his arms, smile playing at the edge of his lips.

‘Are you insulting _Twilight_ again, Master?’ he retorted, and only after a moment noticed his slip-up when Ben did not answer, poleaxed expression on his face.

‘Did you...’ Jedi Master breathed, unwilling to believe his ears. Vader flushed and refused to answer, which was as good as admission in Ben’s book. ‘Thank you, my friend.’

‘This doesn’t mean anything’, blonde man muttered. Ben shook his head, letting it slide and picked up an approaching signature through Force. Seconds later Krystal peeked around the corner, eyeing the older Team with apprehension and impatience.

‘Have you finished with your manly heart-to-heart?’ She ignored the indignation her question evoked and focused of the mumbled confirmations they gave. ‘Good. Duchess is in a bit of bind right now, and we need to help.’

‘Leave it to Obi-Wan’, Ben suggested. ‘He took care of it last time.’

‘Yes’, Krystal snorted, ‘and managed to get Duchess arrested and was barely on time with giving the proof to Senator A- of Naboo’, she hastily avoided mentioning the name, having a good idea just how much of a trigger her name was.

‘When you put it like that...’ Ben chuckled. ‘I guess we should better go.’

* * *

 

Keeping the timeline same at this point was impossible; the only thing they had to keep an eye on, Ben mused as he quietly snuck around the lower levels of Coruscant he became distressingly familiar with during Clone Wars in his own time, was that the timeline doesn’t collapse right on top of them. Krystal would be the first casualty in that scenario, followed by her father, Luke and Vader, and old Jedi Master was not about to allow that. Looking covertly around the dilapidated buildings, checking for any eyes on him, he crossed over to the figure sitting on the half-ruined fountain dressed in tattered brown cloak. Sitting next to it, he pushed small data chip into figure’s awaiting hands.

‘Nothing out of place?’ female voice belonging to his daughter asked in a hushed voice, taking care not to turn her head and give away their chat.

‘Nothing’, Ben said under his breath. ‘You were right, they weren’t keeping an eye on me - other me, but on her associates and her.’

‘I told you’, there was a distinct, if muted note of satisfaction in her words. ‘She’s Duchess of Mandalore; you were just a Jedi - Negotiator, sure, and her friend, but a Jedi in grand scheme of things.’ She shuffled with her cloak and stood up. ‘I’ll take it up to Senate building. Make yourself scarce, Father; the last thing we need is-’

There was a sound of blaster fire, yowling of patrol sirens following seconds after. Krystal swore colorfully in Mando’a, her father not reprimanding her for once, too busy swearing in Huttese and running straight for the place of commotion. Cursing again, Krystal ran away in the opposite direction, allowing Ben to breathe a sigh in relief: the primary objective of getting the real recording to Senate was accomplished.

 _Now only to get Satine out of this mess_ , he thought wryly, recalling the last time he had to do this; he was sure his younger self could do without midnight distress call from Mandalorian Duchess and the subsequent chase all through the Works section of Coruscant. Calling on to Force to give him strength and speed, he ran at inhuman speeds through streets of Works, vaulting over people and occasionally resorting to running over the power lines to avoid bigger holdups.

He caught up with the patrol the moment they managed to lose Satine and her Mandalorian companion in the alley and went on to chase an empty speeder. He had to grin at the diversion tactics Jedi often used on missions and hid in the shadow of a lamp, stretching out with his Force senses to locate his once-friend. He found her only a block away, hiding behind the construction site and thinking about calling Obi-Wan for help. _Oh my dear, you won’t need that this time around_ , he thought gripping his lightsaber under his cloak before setting off in her direction, finding her exactly where he sensed her, wearing the same red cloak with golden embroidery he remembered her owning and using.

‘Duchess’, he whispered and she whirled around, droid deactivator firmly in her hands and pointed at him. He raised his hands and removed his hood, keeping his arms in the air in sign of surrender.

‘Who are you?’ she asked, gripping the deactivator.

‘My name is Ben, and Obi-Wan sent me’, he fabricated a little, counting on the familiarity of the name to loosen her guard.

Satine lowered the deactivator, but her stance remained wary and on guard.

‘Master Jedi’, she intoned, curtsying slightly. ‘Obi-Wan sent you?’

‘He did’, Ben confirmed, watching her reaction.

‘Why?’ The distrust, while muted, was still present in Satine Kryze’s voice.

Ben sighed; he was expecting this reaction, yet it didn’t fail to hurt.

‘He’s worried, Duchess’, he murmured. ‘He cannot do much, he’s too well known: I, on the other hand, can and will help you.’ Duchess bit her lip, glancing at her comm.

‘I’m sorry, Master Jedi’, she finally spoke. ‘Your services are not needed.’

Ben shook his head, smiling. ‘You need not fret about the recording’, he told her, watching as shock, surprise and suspicion played across her face. ‘My daughter, Krystal - you’ve met her on _Coronet_ \- she already has a copy of the disc you’re hiding’, he nodded at her hand curled in fist around the mentioned disc.

‘What is the interest of Jedi Order in internal affairs of Mandalore?’ Satine managed to ask after a few moments of floundering, unsure how to react at the new piece of information. Ben’s smirk made her blink momentarily, if only to check if her eyes were deceiving her.

‘Oh Duchess’, there was no mistaking the smugness and amusement in older man’s voice, ‘I wouldn’t want to ruin the fun by telling you. Suffice to say, tomorrow’s emergency meeting in Senate is not just about the recording we uncovered.’

There was something about the way he spoke that reminded Satine of Obi-Wan, but she dismissed it.

‘Ruin the fun?’ she concentrated on the words the odd Jedi said. ‘What, exactly, will happen?’ But Ben didn’t answer her, opting to simply offer her his hand.

‘As I said’, he reiterated, ‘tomorrow will bring you the answers. Patience, Duchess.’ With those words Jedi Master led the confused politician to his speeder through the maze that was Works, avoiding the law officers on their way.

* * *

 

Luke couldn’t help himself: he started tapping his foot as he waited for Krystal to appear in the office that was once made for Jedi representatives, and were now redecorated to serve as Luke’s and Krystal’s base of operations in Senate. Almost as if summoned by his thoughts, auburn-haired girl slipped through the doors and threw the hood off her head, revealing tangled mess of curls held back by thin circlet and pair of blazing blue eyes.

‘You have it?’ Luke asked, twisting the hem of his formal dress shirt made to resemble typical Jedi tabards and tunic.

Krystal heaved a sigh, revealing slim disc clutched in her palm. ‘Everything ready?’ She countered with a question of her own.

‘Yeah’, Blonde boy confirmed. ‘They won’t know what hit them.’

For the first time since they got temporally displaced, an air of contentedness surrounded disciple of Cosmic Force, bringing out the smile on Luke's face. He could easily guess just how much under stress his best friend was: with keeping Balance being harder than ever and added pressure of impending _Operation: Knightfall_ she was stretched thin, relying on her father to help her stabilise herself.

‘Good. When’s the meeting starting?’ she asked as she sat in front of the vanity table and started combing her hair, unwinding it carefully from the circlet which she set on the table.

‘In about an hour’, Luke said striding over to Krystal and unpinning the cloak she forgot to take off, revealing Jedi ensemble underneath. He frowned. ‘You're not going like that.’

‘Of course I'm not’, Krystal snapped, her hairbrush trying to tame a particularly stubborn knot. ‘I have picked out the outfit before. Bring me that golden one.’

Luke raised his eyebrows, yet fetched the dress without any verbal comment; Krystal, however, was a trained Force-sensitive. ‘I know what I'm doing, Lukie’, she grumbled.

‘I'm only trying to save myself a lecture later’, Luke shrugged, calling his lightsaber to his hand to play with it. ‘Need some help?’

‘If you're offering’, she replied distractedly, focused on applying makeup. ‘Just fix the circlet in place with those two strands’, she indicated strands she separated from the rest of her hair with pins. ‘Wind them around metal and pin them after every pass.’

‘Over or under?’ Luke asked absent-mindedly, already tracking down the box with all the pins.

‘Under’, Krystal declared. ‘You could be a hairdresser, you know.’

‘Considering the number of times I've fixed it up for you?’ Luke joked. ‘I should demand payment.’

‘Serving the Senator was considered the highest of honours’, Krystal replied loftily, relaxing in her seat and allowing Luke to do her hair. ‘Payment was secondary.’

‘It is a pretty nice incentive, though’, blonde boy laughed, checking over every single pin. ‘Stang, Krys -  what about our last names?’

Krystal blinked and gave him a strange look. ‘Were you even listening to Master Windu and I?’

Luke chuckled nervously and shook his head. Girl sighed.

‘Brilliant. Well, we’re posing as brother and sister Antilles - common enough name, and with allusion to Corellian Jedi - reason why we’re not in the war effort.’

Luke made a face. ‘Why brother and sister?’ he asked, putting finishing touches on the hairdo and helped Krystal shimmy into the dress, zipping it up. ‘We could’ve posed as cousins - and it would’ve been more believable. We _do_ have different fathers.’

‘Am I not good enough a sister for you?’ Krystal crossed her arms, but the quirk of her lips gave away her amusement. ‘We are way too close to be anything but brother and sister, or line-siblings - and Jedi do not allow one Master to take on more Padawans at the same time.’

‘If you say so’, Luke replied, raising his hands up in sign of surrender. ‘You’re the one raised by Councillor.’

Krystal’s face rearranged itself into a mask of exasperation and her lips opened for a, without no doubt, witty retort worthy of her father when an aide they were not familiar with entered the office.

‘Masters Jedi?’ he addressed them, bowing his head in deference. ‘The meeting is scheduled to start in fifteen minutes.’ Krystal tossed a look at the chrono, eyebrows rising up.

‘Isn’t it supposed to start in half an hour?’

Aide shuffled, obviously nervous about talking to two members of the famed Jedi Order. Luke decided to take pity on the poor man.

‘We’ll be there, Aide...’ Luke trailed off, noting the lack of introduction.

‘Piett’, man answered and bowed again, backing away and exiting. Two Jedi blinked and exchanged glances.

‘Piett, as in, _Firmus_ Piett?’ Krystal wondered. ‘Captain of the _Accuser_ , Axxilan pirate hunter?’

‘While I commend your knowledge of Imperial Navy officers’, rich baritone belonging to Vader echoed throughout the office as the man stepped in, ‘I truly do not want to know how you obtained such information, or why for that matter.’

Krystal shrugged and Luke reddened.

‘It’s better you don’t my old friend’, Ben voiced as he leaned on the doorpost. ‘The tales can be quite funny, but not for those of Imperial leanings.’

Vader turned around, smirking. ‘Are you telling me my people are incompetent?’ he questioned lightly, almost innocently. The Jedi present could, however sense anger and reluctant admiration hidden underneath.

‘Not exactly incompetent’, Luke hedged, unwilling to voice his opinion about some of the Imperial officers. ‘Captain Piett seemed pretty decent, and Grand Admiral Thrawn, too. But, uh...’

‘Some of them are pompous asshats who need to be taken down a peg’, Krystal did not mince words. ‘Motti, Tarkin, Ozzel and the ilk.’

‘Ah, Motti and Ozzel’, Vader nodded. ‘Sycophants to the Emperor. Tarkin, on the other hand, is a nuisance I cannot wait to get rid of.’

‘Vader’, Ben warned him casually. ‘The chrono’s ticking, darlings.’

Hearing that, Luke and Krystal scrambled to get out of the rooms, stopping only for Krystal to grab data disc she needed to present to the Senate. As they speed-walked to the Order’s pod, ready to shake things up, Luke could not stop grinning, feeling the Force dance around them laughing in joy. They were going to make things right, even if it got them killed.


	7. When two Senators, a Duchess, a Jedi, a Sith and general Grievous enter the bar...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Senate Rotunda is a proverbial nest of Gundarks, as Krystal will soon find out. Thankfully, her charms allowed her to snag help of her father's younger self - and she'll need it, considering who just decided to crash the party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little piece of work was product of me deciding that I don't need to study for my Economy exam I have tomorrow (since I don't need an A - B is perfectly acceptable) and anesor's rather intriguing comment about the nature of Luke and Krystal's relationship. At first I thought she may have misread my clues; then I just decided to roll with it, and this chapter was born!  
> P.S. A challenge for you, my readers: can you guess the identites of _dark man_ and _light man_?

Standing inside Senate Rotunda was surreal experience for Krystal: if there was one place in the Empire she was less welcome than Emperor’s palace due to her status as a Jedi, it was Imperial Senate. She knew her father liked it that way, never being particularly fond of politicians, but to her, avid history lover and politics enthusiast, it was equivalent to banishment from pilgrim site. 

Half of the reason why she requested the assignment, besides truly debilitating visions she sometimes experienced, was her eagerness to experience the politics in person, not just from reports, Holonet news and books. The other half was her unwillingness to go out in the field and come face to face, whether by accident or deliberately, with the only person she had ever been afraid of - the man she owed her existence to. Her father adored her and would have, had it not been for his humble upbringing and ascetic tendencies, spoiled her rotten, but even his doting could not erase the fact she was an impossibility; an anomaly that Force, for whatever reason, had allowed to live and thrive. 

She smoothed down her dress and took in a deep breath, finding her centre with practiced ease and letting go of all her worries: there was no use of fretting and worrying about the lecture she knew would follow this session. Oh boy, what a lecture she and Luke would get from the Council of Reconciliation and the High Council; she couldn’t help the smile that ghosted around the edges of her lips. Departing from the tradition, her father had once told her as he reminisced about the Republic and the Order, was something Council frowned upon, and was one of the main reasons why their extermination was done so swiftly and virtually without any public outcry - the Jedi Order had become too aloof, too much at the beck and call of every greedy Senator and Chancellor to truly fulfill their duty of protecting the denizens of Republic, and it cost them people’s support. 

Remembering that story, Krystal went out of her way to break with traditionalism in her appearance, dragging Luke in to help her and reinforce the image of change: a one-shoulder dress made out of burnished gold velvet with no decoration for her, an image of understated splendor, passion and rebellion that was the anathema of current Jedi, while grey, near military cut of pants and dress vest for Luke, which was slashed with wide black stripe from left shoulder to the right hip going right over his heart and underneath which peeked out white dress shirt, symbolized the state of Jedi Order, and by proxy Republic ideals which were rapidly decaying. Their haircuts, on the other hand, were very literal insult to the tradition standing in the Rotunda itself: Luke’s hair wasn’t neatly groomed, only combed into a hairstyle which seemed to act as a bridge between the military cut and Knight locks the younger version of his father sported, and Krystal’s hair was sheared off just under her shoulders and left free of any ornamental trappings save unadorned silver circlet.

Luke wasn’t stupid, auburn-haired girl knew that for fact; he was well-aware what she was trying to say to the galaxy. What she didn’t know and could only try to predict was his reaction to her plan: so far, apart from couple of jokes and scathing comments directed at some of the more ridiculous headdresses and relief at the relative simplicity of his outfit, he did not comment much on their state of dress. The lack of fight both surprised and relieved her - she simply didn’t have time nor patience to deal with her ‘brother’ if he decided to throw a temper tantrum. The irony of the fact that they now posed as siblings was not lost on her, nor on her father: Ben even took her aside when he heard their cover story, wanting to be sure it wouldn’t stress her too much. 

At that time, it was easy to fake confidence in front of her father - he knew her too well to be completely fooled by her act, but he didn’t call her out on it, trusting she wouldn’t run herself in the ground without talking it out with him first. The others, though… Other Senators wouldn’t be kind if they ever found out about her and Luke’s relation, nor would they approve the convoluted and unorthodox relationship they had; sometimes friends, sometimes enemies, sometimes siblings and even lovers on odd days - it all depended on the Force and hir wishes.

_ Such is our lot, for accepting the offers Force gave us _ , she thought wryly as the buzzer signalized the beginning of the emergency morning session and she straightened up, playing with the disc she knew was an authentic, swapped with a perfect copy Mandalorian informant in Republic Intelligence had given to Duchess. She and Luke were one of the last Senators to step in their own pods - and didn’t the thought of her being the first Jedi Senator send shivers up her spine! - allowing Vice-Chancellor Mas Amedda to open the session.

‘Good morning, esteemed Senators of the Galactic Senate’, Chagrian male greeted the Senators, then nodded to Palpatine. ‘Supreme Chancellor.’ He paused for a moment then continued. ‘This emergency session is now open, with Jedi Order’s representatives the first point on agenda.’

Sitting on the bench behind Krystal, Luke gulped soundlessly and sent a burst of nervous Force energy to her. Krystal sent calming waves to her companion and tapped at the keys at the edge of her pod, directing it out of its slot and aiming to slide just underneath Supreme Chancellor’s seat and next to the mic. She spotted out of the corner of her eye a smile sent by Padmé Amidala from the Naboo pod and discreet thumbs-up from Bail Organa in Alderaan seat, as well as raised eyebrows and incredulous look from Anakin and Obi-Wan sitting behind each Senator. Her mask of serene smile did not waver; rather, she simply sent a mental bow and smirk to the two Jedi, trusting them to relay it to the Senators and turned to face the assembly. She took a deep breath, and began speaking.

‘Senators of the Galactic Republic. Supreme Chancellor.’ She bowed shallowly, the gesture more a formality than sincere respect. ‘This day, is a day of change...’

* * *

 

Listening to Jedi Knight Krystal Antilles speak was almost like listening to a siren song, made to trap unwary travelers and drag them to their demise; fortunately, Darth Sidious was prepared to face her with a smile on his face and wax in his ears. When they had first met, he had made a mistake of assuming her partner,  _ brother _ , Luke was the stronger, therefore dominant one in their relationship, and dismissed her as weaker, only there as a support: seeing her weave intricate web of words fuelled by her emotions, pull at strings of men’s hearts and play with them to her heart’s content, and all of that without a single shift to indicate usage of Force… She reminded him of himself in his early days of being politician, when he used only his charm and skill with words to indebt many to him and his work, allowing him to stay as Senator of Naboo for a very long time and later on get elected as Supreme Chancellor. When she showed the true recording of the Mandalorian he hid in the Intelligence, prevented Republic occupation of Mandalore and finished her speech with  _ May the Force be with you and protect you always _ , he was the third one to start clapping, the first and second being Senators Amidala and Organa, followed by Anakin and Kenobi. 

For all he despised Jedi Order and had plans to destroy them, he could reluctantly admire girl’s ability to sway people’s opinions and admit that she would be a useful asset, if he could somehow get her to fall. Although, he could see some things he could work with instantly - the way she dressed and a soft smirk she sent to some of the more conservative Senators as they gaped at her audacity all screamed rebellion - he was unwilling to abandon his long-term project of turning Anakin to the Dark Side. That, however, did not mean he would not keep a careful eye on the Jedi Senator, and the invitation he issued was going to take care of that.

‘Jedi Senator Antilles here to see you, Chancellor’, one of his aides - Piett? - announced as he walked in his office.

‘Ah yes’, he smiled benignly, plastering the grandfatherly persona over his real personality, ‘let her in.’ Red Guards moved in sync as they stepped away from the entrance, allowing auburn-haired girl - for she couldn’t be older than eighteen or nineteen standard years - to enter, still dressed in her gold dress and circlet on her head. She smiled and curtsied as he rose from his seat to greet her.

‘Supreme Chancellor’, she spoke, her Coruscanti accent slightly more pronounced than in Senate. ‘You summoned me.’ It was a statement, not a question, and it was delivered without any surprise coloring it, as if she had expected the summons sooner rather than later.

‘Indeed, my dear girl.’ He gestured for her to sit, which she did with an inborn grace that most Jedi seemed to posses. ‘Your speech was quite impressive: it’s been a long time since the Senate was so united.’

The girl shrugged modestly, but with a hint of pride. ‘I was only doing my duty’, she countered serenely. ‘The Jedi Order was not created to pander to Senate, but to protect those in need. We - the Jedi - have forgotten our mandate. Then again’, she sighed, wistfulness and remembrance showing on her normally stoic face, ‘after the last Jedi-Sith wars, we needed to prove our peacefulness.’

‘Oh?’ Sidious asked, already knowing what she was talking about, but refused to change the subject. ‘Would you care to elaborate?’

A flush of red colored girl’s cheeks as she shook her head in denial.

‘Oh well’, he sighed, not needing to pretend he was slightly disappointed: wheedling out Jedi secrets was always a good pastime. ‘Then may I have an honour of your attendance during tonight’s state dinner? My friends are very curious about you, and I am sure Duchess Satine would like to personally thank you for clearing up this rather embarrassing mix-up.’

Jedi Senator shifted in her seat, apparently not entirely comfortable with the idea of state dinner, so Sidious pressed on, aware just how important it was to throw her out of her comfort zone - and social gatherings seemed to be the weakness he could exploit.

‘Senators Organa and Amidala have already accepted their invitations, as had Masters Kenobi and Skywalker’, he watched as she sagged under the pressure and smirked inwardly: this Jedi had a nose for politics, and was more than aware just where the laws were voted on.

At last, Krystal Antilles gave in and dipped her head in acceptance. ‘Very well. I hope you did not omit to invite my brother as well.’ 

Her head was tilted, daring him to do such a thing so she could legitimately refuse to come. Dark Lord had to suppress an urge to cackle; oh, this young one was going to bring some fresh air and challenges for him. She did not shy away from more underhanded moves, a trait most welcome in future Sith Acolyte.  _ Or Lady _ , Darkness whispered in his ear, showing him the image of the girl split down the middle: her left eye blue like an Adegan kyber crystal and purple lightsaber in her left hand, and her right eye molten gold, with lightwhip attached to her right hip.  _ Or Lady _ , he amended his previous thought as the two politicians went through protocol and young Jedi left his chambers. 

The most fun, he knew, was going to be her knowledge of his Sith identity: in the Synchronisation Chamber, she hinted at knowing about his dual identities, and right now she had refused to lower her shields even a millimeter, which left the Sith Lord to gauge her emotional state through her body language, a skill he did not have to use for many, many years. As the aide Piett walked in with his next appointment, Senator Orn Free Taa of Ryloth, he decided:  _ This Jedi Knight will be mine, and she will serve - one way or another. _

* * *

 

Dealing with the politicians, Obi-Wan quickly reminded himself as he paced inside newly appointed Jedi Senator’s office, was lengthy business with no room for error. Still, the fact Krystal was summoned to Chancellor’s office almost immediately after the session had ended was disquieting. Satine and Luke, who were reclining in the armchairs strewn across the office giving it a more homely feeling, followed his every step and turn with hawk-like eyes.

‘Relax, Obi-Wan’, Satine finally scolded him, having had enough of his pacing. ‘Knight Antilles is a competent politician and good Jedi; she’ll be fine.’

‘She’s right, Master Kenobi’, Luke chimed in, running his hand through his hair. ‘Krys dealt with bigger  _ sleemos _ than Supreme Chancellor before.’ The familiar insult did the trick: Obi-Wan stopped dead in his tracks, looking at Luke as if seeing a ghost.

‘You’re from Tatooine?’ he asked weakly, and Luke laughed brightly, his cheer infecting the air around him.

‘Yep’, he confirmed unrepentantly, grinning at horrified and resigned face the vaunted Jedi Master and Negotiator had and on the confusion on Mandalorian Duchess’ face. ‘Don’t worry, I only curse where my father and Master can’t hear me - I’d get an earful otherwise. Krys is the one with more creative insults and slurs - Mando’a is the language she consults when she starts spewing them.’ This time, horror and resignation flashed over Satine’s face, more than familiar with her native tongue’s propensity for insults.

‘Who consults what when spewing what?’ Krystal peeked in the room, looking slightly harried. Luke abandoned his teasing and jumped up to hug her, letting her exhaustion bleed over to him.

‘Your language choice when cursing’, he whispered as the overwhelming urge to just drop down and fall asleep, company be damned washed over him. ‘What happened?’

‘Palpatine happened’, she murmured just loud enough for Obi-Wan and Satine to hear.Now worried for the slender girl he barely knew but felt strong connection to, Obi-Wan approached her but stayed several steps away, unsure what to do. 

Satine had no such compunctions: after she checked that the doors were firmly closed, she stepped to the pair and put her hand on Krystal’s shoulder. ‘What happened?’ Obi-Wan was startled by the softness in her voice, until he remembered that she was in the similar situation all those years ago when he first met her, on the extended mission with his Master.

‘He strong-armed me into attending state dinner’, young Jedi Knight answered, her reply slightly muffled by Luke’s shoulder as he held her up.

‘I know’, blonde boy muttered, carding his fingers through Krystal’s auburn locks. ‘He sent me a missive as well. Can we refuse?’

‘It would not be wise’, Satine did not remove her hand, even if she aligned her body slightly away, allowing the pair to press up close. ‘State dinners are where you gather support and connections - not attending, especially when you’re a newly minted Senator, is tantamount to political suicide.’ 

Obi-Wan grimaced, feeling the flimsy with his own missive in his pocket. He had planned on refusing the invite, but if what Satine said was right… and she was right, he realised as Krystal slowly untangled herself from Luke’s arms, and young girl knew that all too well.

‘I’ll go with you.’ The words were out of his mouth before he had time to think about them; but just as he prepared to apologise for hasty words, he saw relief on new Senator’s face, and every doubt vanished as she smiled gratefully at him.

‘ _ Thank you _ , Master Kenobi’, Krystal breathed, walking up to him and catching Jedi Master off guard with enthusiastic hug. He awkwardly hugged her, listening to Force dance at his decision and feeling his heart beat slightly faster as Satine looked at him with something indescribable in her pale eyes.

* * *

 

_ The light man could only laugh as he watched the interaction between two line-siblings, the currents and eddies inside Force changing directions ever so slowly towards the gate four time travelers unknowingly went through. The future was slowly, but steadily changing, and his Padawan was right in the thick of it, doing everything to make it a good one. _

_ ‘Your happiness is almost sickening,  _ Jidai _ ’, another man, this one steeped in darkness, appeared to watch the material world. _

_ ‘You don’t have to come if I repulse you as much as you claim I do’, light man replied. ‘I wasn’t watching your former apprentice.’ _

_ ‘Yet he is interested in your apprentice’, dark man retorted. ‘That makes it my business.’ _

_ ‘I know’, light man sighed, watching his Padawan step out of bedroom. ‘I wish I could reach out beyond the gate.’ _

_ ‘You’re not the only one, Master Jedi’, dark man soothed. ‘We have to trust your apprentice to make the right decision.’ Light man sighed once again, looked at his Padawan and turned away, letting dark man lead him back. _

* * *

 

‘This is horrible’, Luke murmured in Obi-Wan’s ear as he watched the swirl of brightly dressed Senators, aides and nobility as they congregated at various tables with food and drinks. Krystal and Palpatine were the stars of the night’s event, as most of the attendees seemed to zero in on them. Luke had stayed with his ‘sister’ for the majority of the evening, but then Krystal shooed him away when she spotted Lott Dod cornering young Pantoran - Senator Chuchi, if what Luke heard in the hubbub of sounds was correct - and glided over, people parting before her like she was a goddess of rage and vengeance, which was not that farfetched considering the expression she had on her face.

‘I know, my friend’, Obi-Wan replied in the same tone, his eyes flickering between Satine, Krystal and Palpatine as he tracked their movements across the lavishly decorated high-ceiling room. ‘Unfortunately, things never seem to change, or if they do, it is for worse.’ 

When he first stepped in, Luke knew he was going to hate the room: it was total opposite of what he and Krystal wanted Republic to be, and Tatooinian farmboy in him balked at the idea of spending so much money on one room, state business or no. Seeing people who frequented there only cemented his opinion; if not for the necessity of attendance, he would’ve gladly skipped it and never feel guilty about it.

‘I believe you’, blonde said, playing with the glass flute containing Nabooian wine. ‘What did you want to say about my Master and father?’

‘Oh, that’, auburn-haired man recalled. ‘They were sent out on a mission - top secret, something to do with Ventress. I think they simply picked out the first mission available, just to get away from this nightmare’, Obi-Wan grimaced good-naturedly.

‘And you, the poor fool, fell under Krys’ spell’, Luke teased the older man, happy to be able to do so, ‘and decided to spend your night here, bored out of your mind.’

‘Misery likes company, young Luke’, Obi-Wan reminded him, picking up his own flute and clinking it with Luke’s. ‘To idealistic, foolish girl - ’

‘And the fools who follow her’, Luke finished, startling a laugh out of Jedi Master and downing the glass. Obi-Wan copied him.

‘That is a fine proverb’, Obi-Wan said with a smiled on his face. ‘Where did you hear it?’

‘My Master, actually’, Luke explained, eyes misty, clearly lost in thought. ‘He always said he and I were Krys’ fools, and if she weren’t a Jedi, she’d be the ruler of the galaxy.’

‘Well, good thing for us that she’s not’, older man’s eyes crinkled. ‘Tell me-’

But he never managed to finish that sentence: as alarm suddenly blared through Force, blaster shots sounded through the room, igniting the chorus of screams from those in attendance.

‘Silence!’ raspy voice shouted above the cacophony, silencing everyone.

Feeling a sudden surge of fear and anger radiate from Jedi Master next to him, Luke turned around and spotted something even he couldn’t call human. It was a mass of organs, encapsulated in a durasteel skeleton-like cage, carrying several pairs of arms, and with yellow eyes staring hatefully from behind the mask, their focus on the dais with Pantoran Senator, Senator Dod and -

‘Krys’, Luke whispered in horror and whipped around, his blue eyes finding their near-identical twins set in female face.

‘Move, Jedi’, General Grievous - for it couldn’t be anyone other than the infamous general - hissed, ‘and she dies.’ 

It was only then that Luke’s mind caught up with the fact that Grievous was not standing alone: in one of his durasteel arms, thrashing around in futile attempt to free herself yet placed so she could be perfectly seen, was - 

_ Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sith language:  
>  _Jidai_ \- Jedi


	8. In which Dathomir is not precisely a vacation spot, and Satine and Anakin see Obi-Wan in a new light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vader and Ben bond a little as they hurtle towards Dathomir, the site of their next mission - which, as the title implies, is not precisely a vacation spot. Meanwhile, Anakin and Obi-Wan are forced to talk to Grievous and Satine comes to a startling realisation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter in advance and Passover to those who celebrate them!

Being on the mission again was surprisingly calming in its familiarity, Vader was quick to find out after he smoothly led the ship he was given,  _ Sunrise _ , into hyperspace. Ben had insisted on it and Vader couldn’t find any real objections to the name, though he still managed to wrangle out a promise from the older man to explain where the name came from. As he watched the stars extend into the long, white lines, allowing him to lean backward and simply observe, his thoughts turned back on his son and daughter’s existence, as well to that of Krystal Kenobi - or Antilles, as far as the rest of the galaxy was concerned. He had time to digest the thought and get used to the fact he had child _ ren -  _ that his beloved Angel did not die at his hand, that Obi-Wan did not completely betray him - yet it still managed to catch him off guard and leave him breathless in joy. Everything he had ever wanted, he could now have; Padme, true, was dead and would never return, but he had had over sixteen years to ponder on her death, to mourn her properly and let go of her. His son and daughter, on the other hand, were very much alive, as was his old Master.

The thought of the old Jedi did not bring hatred or pain anymore: seeing his son’s smile as he talked with his Master was enough of a deterrent when he contemplated Ben’s murder, and the flash of blue eyes that belonged to Ben’s daughter revealed the depth of emotion he thought his old Master was incapable of feeling. That revelation did not come without its’ sting; he couldn’t quite suppress jealousy - how come he, Ben’s Padawan, never warranted that kind of reaction, those unJedi-like feelings? Then again, Ben all but confessed he was not directly responsible for his daughter’s birth, and Krystal’s confession to Yoda implied there was something truly unnatural about the circumstances of her creation. For a moment, he entertained the idea that she was like him, a child of Force; he quickly discarded that idea, however, feeling how Force rebelled against the very thought of it. He was one of a kind, the only child of Force - Krystal Kenobi was an anomaly of a completely different breed, yet as capable of wreaking havoc and manipulating Force as he once was - as he is,  _ again _ .

As caught in his ruminations as he was, Vader did  not fail to miss Ben Kenobi’s quiet entrance, nor the uneasy air he brought in. No matter his allegiances, he would always appreciate the rare chance to unnerve usually composed Jedi Master.

‘I don’t bite, old man’, Vader laughed, gesturing to the empty co-pilot’s seat. ‘Sit.’

Ben relaxed marginally after those words, taking the seat and twisting in it so he could face Vader.

‘I didn’t want to interrupt’, Ben phrased it both as an explanation and an apology, a skill he had developed early in his Knighthood for soothing his new Padawan’s too-easily ruffled feathers.

Vader waved the apology away. ‘It was nothing’, he purred, his eyes a swirling, hypnotic mix of blue and gold Ben had a difficult time looking away from.

Clearing his throat, Jedi leaned forward. ‘You have questions.’ Vader wordlessly nodded, waiting. Ben chuckled weakly. ‘ _ Sunrise _ is the ID Krystal and I use -  _ used _ \- for our ship when we dealt with the Empire. Beautiful name, with no clear reason or history behind it.’

‘ID you used?’ Vader had a feeling where this was going, and there was a certain amount of satisfaction in seeing his old Master squirm as he admitted to breaking the law, even if it was Empire’s law.

‘Yes’, Ben stroked his beard, his signature nervous tick. ‘The real name was  _ Negotiator _ . Krystal’s idea, before you asked’, he chuckled, shaking his head. ‘She insisted, and there was no saying no to her.’

‘She inherited it from you’, was out from Vader’s mouth before he could even think about it, and seeing indignant flush on Ben’s face more than made up for the loose-tongue moment.

‘Thank you, former Padawan mine’, Ben grumbled, but there was no real heat in his voice, only exasperation and fondness Vader could recall with distressing clarity from their Clone Wars. ‘I really shouldn’t leave you and Krystal in the same room.’

‘And why not?’ Sith Lord poked, knowing all too well he really shouldn’t provoke his old Master; but the time travel coupled with the finding of his family made him feel like a Senior Padawan at the cusp of Knightning: young, reckless, absurdly happy and most importantly,  _ in tune _ with Ben.

‘She does  _ not _ need any more bad influences in her life’, Ben grumbled, crossing his arms and leveling Vader with one of his unimpressed looks. They didn’t lose their potency in the slightest, Vader noted: in fact, they seemed even more pointed and focused, likely a product of raising another Padawan - who was coincidentally a Skywalker - and his daughter in the same time. ‘Ezra and Sabine are more than I can handle.’

Those names were quite familiar to the Sith. ‘The Rebels?’ Vader asked, his head tilted slightly and eyes narrowed.

‘I don’t choose her friends’, Ben defended himself, sensing the disapproval. ‘Besides, she’s often lonely: there’s only so much Luke and I can do.’

‘Still. A Mandalorian and a Jedi Padawan?’ Vader wanted to hit something. He had  _ told _ his underlings to keep a close eye on the associates of the Phoenix Squad ever since he found out Fulcrum was his former Padawan Ahsoka Tano. Thrawn he could not fault; the man had his hands full just keeping an eye on the Rebels and their operations. His agents and the Inquisitorius, on the other hand, were a completely different story. Had they been a bit more attentive, they would’ve found leads to his old Master and his son all that much faster, and it wouldn’t have taken Force intervention for them to meet.

‘In retrospect, I could’ve done without Krystal learning Mando’a, and if I ever see Garazeb Orrelios, I cannot guarantee I won’t try and strangle him for the ‘karabast’ infection’, Ben laughed, his eyes glinting. ‘At least Luke and I aren’t the only ones she can argue philosophy and politics with anymore - I caught her arguing the Jedi Code quite spiritedly with Kanan Jarrus couple of weeks ago, and I hear her shouting match with Mon Mothma is still the talk of the Alliance.’

Vader couldn’t help but smile. ‘You do know Kanan’s name was Caleb Dume, yes? Depa Bilaba’s Padawan?’

Ben nodded. ‘He gave me the idea for the reverse beacon’, he revealed. ‘Although his dedication to the old Code has certainly been slipping.’

‘Ah yes, Hera Syndulla. Quite a woman.’ Vader had to tamp down his urge to laugh as Ben’s eyes widened. ‘I do keep an eye on them. They are the most annoying Rebel cell I have encountered so far.’

‘Don’t ever mention it to them, they’ll take it as a compliment’, Ben warned his old apprentice, but humorous tone took out any serious connotations to the sentence.

‘I know.’ Vader started fiddling around the holo transmitter. ‘Do you think this old tech can be rigged to receive transmissions and holonews in hyperspace?’

Ben stood up from his seat and joined Vader on the durasteel floor, peering at the tangled mess of wires Vader pulled out from the gut of the navigation console. ‘In theory, yes’, he shrugged. ‘You want to see Krystal and Luke in the Senate?’

‘Yes’, Vader admitted, elbow deep in calibration and reconfiguration work. ‘Pass me the screwdriver, please.’ Ben passed him the tool. ‘It’s...’ he stopped talking, trying to find words and unable to to find them.

‘You’re worried’, Ben said, correctly deducing his mood. ‘Don’t worry. Krystal’s the politician between the two of them, she’ll keep him afloat and out of too much trouble.’

‘Shouldn’t that be phrased as ‘out of trouble’, old man?’

‘Not with the name Skywalker in the equation.’ The short silence was broken by the loud laughter from both men, and Vader continued working with Ben occasionally making a remark or passing him the tool he needed, camaraderie setting in and filling in the empty space: and for a moment, Vader could swear his old Master’s hair was still completely auburn and his own body and soul void of scars left by the eternal wars and Force users who only seemed to want him dead or subservient.

 

* * *

 

When the screaming and the panic started, the first thing on Anakin’s mind was to protect his Padme: he pushed her behind himself and then behind the nearby boulder, telling her to stay there and kissing her goodbye before rushing off to the center of the room. The second thing on his mind were the Chancellor and his Master: the former was invisible in the sea of red as the Red Guard congregated around him, staves raised and ready to protect him; the latter, however, was a bit more difficult to find in the utter pandemonium blaster shots created. At last, he found him near the dais with Krystal and Luke Antilles, looking serene and radiating murderous intent through the Force, which was fairly unusual for the Councillor. The blond man winced and peered more carefully, then swore colorfully in Huttese under his breath: no  _ wonder _ Obi-Wan was on the edge! If it had been Padme in Grievous’ arms, he’d be halfway to Dark Side already; even with his superior control, Obi-Wan was still a human, therefore susceptible to human emotions of love and attachment, and if what he felt towards Mandalorian Duchess wasn’t a blatant attachment, Anakin would eat the business end of his lightsaber. Unfortunately, there was no time to spare on the thoughts of his Master having an attachment to a civilian: he needed to calm everyone down, get Duchess away from Grievous and dispatch the droid General, not necessarily in that order. But first things first: figure out just  _ how _ and  _ why _ did the monster get here.

‘Hello, general!’ Anakin jovially greeted him, strolling towards the intruder, all the Senators and guests parting before him, leaving him a clear path to his Master and aforementioned general. ‘How nice to see you here!’

‘Skywalker’, Grievous rasped out, derision clear in his voice as he turned to face the new potential threat. ‘And where is your partner, general Kenobi? I have a message for him.’

‘I am here, Grievous’, Obi-Wan stepped out, allowing the cyborg to see him clearly for the first time since he entered the ballroom. ‘If you had a message for me, you could’ve simply left it somewhere, not make a spectacle out of yourself and endanger innocent people by coming here.’

Grievous snorted and coughed, sounding like his lungs were on the verge of dying: Anakin sorely wished it would happen sooner rather than later - he was getting on his nerves.

‘Innocent’, Separatists’ main tactician replied, his yellow eyes boring into blue-grey ones of the Republic’s most famous Jedi General. ‘How little you Jedi know of the true war: there are no innocent there.’ Anakin’s blood boiled at the accusation and the implication behind it: he stepped forward, intending to voice his protest, but before he could do that, Obi-Wan cut him off.

‘So what is the message?’ Jedi Master demanded, his eyes peripherally tracking Duchess and focusing on Grievous. Grievous hacked and coughed again before opening his mouth to speak.

‘You should not trust your new friends, Kenobi’, there was a sadistic gleam in cyborg’s eyes, as if he knew something they didn’t, and it tugged on Anakin’s already frayed and way-too-thin nerves.

‘And why should I trust your warning, Grievous?’ Obi-Wan’s stance suddenly shifted into defensive as he telegraphed his intention to pull his lightsaber at the moment’s notice to everyone in the room.

Grievous chuckled and hacked again. ‘There is no fun’, he said after he finished coughing, ‘in playing chase with a man who is chasing his own tail, Kenobi.’ He shot a disturbing look at Krystal as he said that, Anakin noted and watched newly appointed Jedi Senator’s face close off, fire appearing in her eyes.

‘He’s not the one who should be worried about chasing his own tail’, Krystal’s voice was flat, but there was something in the way she looked at the droid General that spoke of her true feelings - and they were anything but kind and compassionate. ‘Who sent you?’

Now that was a question Anakin wanted answer to immediately, without having to trudge to enormous amount of leads and false trails to find out.

‘And why should I tell you, little Jedi scum?’ Grievous asked her laughing, squeezing Duchess’ arm and making her yelp. Obi-Wan’s eyes darted to her before refocusing on cyborg.

‘Because, general’, and in that moment, temperature of the room dropped to a Hoth-surface levels as Krystal smiled, chilling everyone who had a clear sight of her face, ‘I know who didn’t. Tell me, was it Ventress or’, she stopped for a moment, gauging his reaction. ‘Ah.  _ I see _ . Does Tyranus know you’ve been snooping through his classified data and spying on him?’ Jolt went through Obi-Wan’s and Anakin’s bond as the pair started.  _ This _ was important, they could feel it.

Grievous sneered, but there was a hint of unease to his movements. ‘And why would you care, little Jedi?’

The angelic smile that appeared on auburn girl’s face was unsettling, as was its matching twin on Luke’s face. ‘Because’, Krystal did nothing to hide her amusement, ‘ there is, to paraphrase you, no fun in playing chase with a man chasing his own tail. Not that I can classify you as a man, really.’

Anakin was torn between crowing and pouting as Krystal delivered her insult: crowing at the utter rage Grievous radiated, pouting because he didn’t think to use that one in his earlier confrontations with Grievous.

Grievous snarled and hacked again, dropping Duchess and taking a step back before turning tail and running for the nearest window before either guards or Jedi present could recover their wits. Before he jumped through the window, though, he stopped and called out one more time.

‘You have made an enemy out of me, little Jedi and there is no mercy for my enemies.’ At those words, the guards suddenly woke from their paralysed state and started converging on him, trying to capture him before he got away; Anakin knew the endeavor would be pointless.

Krystal, however just smiled impishly. ‘Oh, I believe you, but you’ll have to catch me first.’

As she said that, Grievous jumped, shattering the glass, and scaled down the Senate building to the landing platform, there he jumped in the speeder and drove away, leaving Anakin and Obi-Wan to fix things and planting a seed of doubt in their heads:  _ Just who was Krystal Antilles? _

 

* * *

 

Dathomir, Ben thought as Vader skillfully piloted  _ Sunrise _ down into the planet’s atmosphere, was one place he really could do without seeing ever again. Their mission parameters, unfortunately, called for an investigation there as Asajj Ventress was from that planet.

‘Disgusting place’, Vader commented, echoing Ben's own thoughts. ‘Why do we have to go here?’

‘Mission, Ana-Vader’, Ben caught his own slip-up before it left his mouth. ‘Besides, with the amount of Darkness hovering around the planet, I'd have thought you'd feel right at home’, he poked playfully, drawing a snort and a laugh from Sith.

‘Right at home with a clan of women who enslave their male counterparts?’ Vader asked. ‘You, old man, have a truly warped idea of what home feels like.’

‘Point’, Ben conceded. ‘I’m still surprised the Order accepted us for this mission. Any female Knight would have certainly been received better.’

‘I’m not about to complain’, Vader mused, settling the ship down and peering into the misty red haze clinging to the surface. ‘It beats being stuck in the Temple.’

Ben just shrugged and went to the hatch, waiting for Vader to lower it down; when he did, he carefully stepped out, sending out probes in Force. He had no illusions about their probable reception - Nightsisters were primarily dark-oriented Force users, and with both him and Vader being of male gender… the best he could hope for was an armed scout party taking them to Mother Talzin in chains. The worst-case scenario he didn’t want to even entertain, not even in thoughts.

‘I hope you didn’t wander off without me, old man’, Vader snapped him from his musings as he descended from the freighter and locked it with casual flick of his hand. ‘This is joint mission.’

‘I do not have a death wish, my old friend’, Ben answered, sensing his probe run headfirst into a person hiding in the nearby bushes. ‘We have company’, he relayed the information to his companion in sotto voce. Jedi Master shivered as he sensed Vader cast out his own probes, much darker in nature and much less noticeable in the general atmosphere of Darkness and death lingering in the air.

‘Eight of them’, Sith spoke after a few moments, the yellow threatening to overtake blue in his eyes as his arm hovered near his lightsaber. ‘A trap.’

Ben sighed: he had really hoped it wouldn’t come to blows, but apparently it wasn’t to be. ‘Should we apply our usual policy when it comes to traps?’ He felt, rather than saw Vader’s wide grin as he shifted slightly, transferring his balance to his back leg.

‘Fine by me, old man. Think you can keep up?’

Ben just rolled his eyes skyward and refused to reply, shifting seamlessly into opening empty-handed stance of Soresu and called out to the hiding warriors. ‘We know you are here’, he amplified his voice with Force, letting it echo and reach those he suspected were hiding further away. ‘We do not wish to fight - we are only here to talk.’

The rustle of leaves and bushes alerted the strange pair to the emergence of Nightsisters. Ben took the time as they assembled in a loose circle around  _ Sunrise _ , him and Vader to carefully inspect the currents of the Unifying Force, searching for deception and possible routes this adventure would take him and Vader. The possibilities, while grim, did not speak of any deception beyond what he would expect from a leader of Nightsisters, so he relaxed and focused back on the material world.

‘Leave, strangers’, one of the red-clad Nightsisters hissed, pointing rather sharp-looking dagger at Ben, who was not intimidated in the slightest. Snort at his left told him Vader shared his sentiment.

‘It would be a terrible waste of time’, Ben answered in a calm and soothing voice of a Negotiator, ‘travelling such a distance to speak with Mother Talzin, only to be turned away at her doorstep.’

Hisses and pointed looks went around the circle of assembled women, and the woman who spoke before shot them poisonous look.

‘And what business would two strangers have with Mother?’

Ben shrugged eloquently. ‘None your ears may be privy to without Mother’s approval’, he told her then blinked, sensing a strong, if strange presence in the Dark nearby. Sneer from Vader confirmed his observation - Mother Talzin was listening in.

‘And one we would like to discuss somewhere other than open space, Mother Talzin’, Vader spoke up, louder than strictly necessary. Gravelly laughter was the answer as the elderly matriarch showed herself, stepping out of shadows closer to peer at their faces.

‘My, my’, she spoke, waving Nightsisters away as they stepped forward. ‘What brings a Jedi Master and Sith Lord to my home?’

‘One of your own, Mother’, Ben said steadily, looking straight into old witch’s eyes. ‘Asajj Ventress - and Maul.’ Vader shot him an incredulous look, which Ben ignored.

Mother Talzin just laughed, the red of her ornamental robes fluttering in the nonexistent wind. ‘I see, Master Jedi. Come’, she gestured for the pair of men to follow her. ‘We will speak more in the village.’

 

* * *

 

Satine had never felt so helpless in her life: being held by a mechanic hand of a cyborg as a convenient hostage for the Jedi who fought to stop the Republican occupation of Mandalore was far worse than anything she had experienced during the seemingly never-ending days in her youth, with Obi-Wan and Master Jinn playing her bodyguards. Thinking about the Jedi brought her to Jedi Master mask her Obi-Wan had donned while speaking with the detestable creature: she did not miss occasional glance he shot at her, checking if she was all right, nor did she miss Skywalker’s raised brows as he noticed his former Master’s behaviour. It warmed her heart to know time and duty did not erase the feelings Obi-Wan once held for her, but in the same time they worried her: what would he do if something happened to her? What would  _ she _ do if something happened?

She was rudely yanked out of that depressing cycle of thoughts when cyborg - General Grievous, as Obi-Wan and Skywalker called him - pushed her away from himself and she landed painfully on her hip, her scalp feeling as if on fire as all the pins holding the ceremonial headdress were shifted during her fall. She couldn’t stop a soft cry from escaping her lips.

‘Satine? Are you alright?’ Ah, there was that voice of Obi-Wan, her friend, not of Master Kenobi, the Jedi General as he knelt next to her and picked her up, cradling her in his lap.

‘I’m fine, Obi-Wan’, she groaned, prodding lightly at her hip and finding no further injury. ‘Just a slight bump.’

‘If that is what you call a slight bump, I’d hate to see what you define as real injury’, only vaguely familiar female voice spoke as the golden hem entered her limited line of vision. ‘Lukie, would you mind?’

‘Not at all’, unfamiliar male voice responded, and some one in black boots and grey pants kneeled next to her and Obi-Wan. ‘May I?’

‘Only if she lets you’, Obi-Wan answered before she could, and Satine felt a wave of relief; she hated not knowing what was happening.

‘Duchess? My name is Luke Antilles, Krystal is my sister’, the male voice -  _ Luke Antilles _ \- spoke with a soothing voice she had heard one time too many from healers. ‘I’m not a proper Healer, but I’d like to check if there is anything more serious than couple of scratches and bruises.’ Satine debated internally what to answer when Luke spoke again.

‘If you wouldn’t let me look over, I can always call for the professionals.’ 

_ Stars no _ , was Satine’s first thought and she reacted without any further thinking. ‘Your services shall be sufficient, Master Jedi’, she said, remembering the boy now - he was sitting behind Krystal Antilles, the Jedi Senator, as she blocked Republic’s attempt to occupy Mandalore. ‘I owe you and your sister a great debt.’

‘You owe us nothing’, the female voice from before snapped. ‘If Mandalore does not wish to participate in war, Republic should respect that.’

‘Knight Antilles, please...’ Obi-Wan pleaded, tightening his grip on Satine slightly in a gesture of protectiveness and concern. ‘This is not the time for politics.’

A short pause. ‘Agreed, Master Kenobi’, Krystal Antilles allowed the subject to drop. ‘Anything, Lukie?’

‘Nothing’, Luke answered to Satine’s delight and Obi-Wan’s relief. ‘The bruising is quite impressive, but nothing couple of bacta patches from first-aid kit can’t fix.’

‘Then, may I stand up?’ Satine asked, looking for the first time since she fell into Obi-Wan’s eyes. She found only relief and unguarded concern in his eyes, with slight shimmering of tears in the corners. Were they from relief or panic, she didn’t know, but she took them for what they represented - Obi-Wan cared more than he let the rest of galaxy know. 

As he helped her to stand up and allowed her to join the crowd of Senators and other guests who swamped her with worried questions and praises for staying calm, the only thought that resided in her mind was this:  _ Obi-Wan cares for me more than he should.  _ And that thought really should’ve scared her more than it did.


	9. Of small chats, uncomfortable feelings and terrible tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mother Talzin, Ben and Vader have a small, yet quite informative chat, Obi-Wan is a stuttering, blushing mess, and Satine and Krystal bond over terrible cuisine of the galaxy - which includes sapir tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a rather filler-ish vibe to it, but it has some important hints to the next chapter, which is going to be a HUGE mess - or, more accurately, Mortis mess. Yes, Mortis mission is going to happen - and it's not going to be pretty for our heroes.
> 
> Translation of the Mando'a and Huttese in this chapter:  
>  _Haar'chak_ \- Damn it  
>  _e chu ta sleemo_ \- fucking slimeball (freely translated)  
>  _ori'buyce kih'kovid_ \- literally _All helmet, no head_ , Mandalorian insult for someone with overinflated sense of authority

If there was something Vader could profess to hate even more than sand, his Sith Master and inefficiency in his ranks, it was self-proclaimed Dark Side users who thought themselves above a Sith Lord. He knew the moment he saw the name of the planet in the mission files this particular venture would be far from pleasant, almost on par with that absolute nightmare of a mission to Kadavo and Zygerria - it took nearly a month for then-Anakin to wash away the vile taste of the planet, slaver-scum of Zygerrian people and sight of his Jedi Master wearing a slave collar, and time did not dull the impressions any for Vader - yet the expectation could do nothing to lighten the punch of fury and irritation he was currently feeling as Ben and he trailed behind Mother Talzin into the village of Nightsisters. The elderly woman did not speak much, yet smugness and superiority she wrapped herself in the Force that awed young women without fail only grated on his nerves and made him sorely wish Ben did not make him promise early on in their hyperspace journey not to pull out his lightsaber without solid reason, like being attacked by either Nightsisters or not-so-accommodating local wildlife.

Even with his irritation spiking, Dark Lord could admit, if pressed sufficiently enough, that he was impressed with the way of life Dark-oriented users on Dathomir lived. While they did not rely on higher technology of any kind, they took great stock in memorisation and commemoration of their past and culture - not to mention their near-endless knowledge of Sith Alchemy and spells most of the Banite Sith seemed to regard as primitive and barbaric. Vader, on the other hand, had been a Jedi for nearly fourteen years before Falling; he had learned to appreciate the subtleties of the Force Jedi Healers and Sentinels used to help them in their chosen duties, and the fact Dark Side could heal, repair and create as easily as it could destroy… Not a day had passed since his duel with Ben on Mustafar without thinking about the way to improve his health, to return some semblance of his former body strength and agility without resorting to the Jedi healing trance.

_ Anakin! _ Ben tugged at his conscience, bringing him out of his thoughts.

_ That is not my name _ , he shot without any thinking to his old Master and turned his attention back to the material world.

‘Welcome back, Lord Vader.’ Even with her back turned to him, Vader could sense Mother Talzin’s smirk. ‘What do you wish to know of Asajj and Maul, Force-chosen?’ 

Although this question was directed to Ben, its phrasing succeeded in startling both time travelers: Ben coughed and shifted, and Vader wrought his hands together.

‘Force-chosen?’ Ben asked delicately.

Mother Talzin rolled her eyes and gestured them to step into the building Vader thought vaguely resembled some of the Sith Temples, most notably the one in the middle of the Valley of Sith Lords on Korriban. ‘Are you not chosen by Force, the ones who embody four different aspects of Force?’

The fact she sensed the difference between run-of-a-mill Jedi and Sith and Ben and Vader spoke much of her sensitivity to the currents of the Force. Not even Sidious and Yoda could feel it, Vader was sure of it.

‘We are’, Ben confirmed cautiously, not giving anything more away. Vader could give a mental nod of approval to the paranoia his old Master exhibited: this was a forgotten knowledge for both Orders. Then again, with the amount of censure inside the Jedi Order and the habit of Sith Masters to jealously guard their secrets and not share it with their Apprentices.... It was a wonder anyone remembered it, be they dead or alive.

‘Good’, the woman nodded, leading them around the stone altar and into the small side chamber and gestured for them to sit and make themselves comfortable. ‘It would be a pity if you weren’t. We were waiting for you to come for a long time.’

Ben and Vader exchanged a glance and a short conversation in the Force.

_ What should we say? _

_ You’re the Negotiator. But if you’re asking, tell the truth. _

_ Not the whole truth! _

A snort from Vader’s side.  _ Of course not. Just the pertinent details. _

‘We are flattered’, Ben replied to Dathomirian woman. ‘But our beliefs are not the reason why we came here. We would like to know more about Maul’s current whereabouts and Asajj’s past.’

Talzin leaned forward, the red monstrosity of a headdress jangling as she did, and fixed first Ben, then Vader with soul-seeking gaze. They both met it without hesitation, not afraid in the slightest of the scrutiny - they truly had nothing to hide besides what they had already hidden behind the impenetrable walls in their minds. Whatever she was looking for satisfied her, as she leaned back and smiled with all teeth.

‘You’re curious, Force-chosen’, she told them, carelessly flicking her wrist to summon a string of green light. Ben and Vader tensed in their seats at the sight of Nightsister magic, yet remained seated. ‘The bond between you two… I have only seen it in your children. Yet, you seek not knowledge of the Force, but of this world… Most curious.’

‘It’s better not to know everything’, Ben answered her. ‘Knowledge once learned cannot be unlearned, and secrets let out can never be caged again.’

Talzin cackled. ‘Witty and true’, she granted. ‘Very well. The one you have known as Maul is currently hiding on Lotho Minor. As for the dear Asajj, she has not been here since she was given up to save our clans from slavers.’

Vader gritted his teeth at the mention of slavery but did nothing. Ben sent him a pulse of compassion, which he reluctantly accepted.

‘Lotho Minor?’ Ben asked casually. ‘That’s literally in the middle of nowhere in the Outer Rim.’

‘Junkyard of the galaxy’, Vader added. ‘He’s hiding  _ there? _ ’

Mother Talzin shrugged, allowing the green wisp to coil in her outstretched palm. ‘I do not know why, or how. I planned to send his brother, Savage Opress, to find him’, here she shrugged again eloquently, ‘but it appears I will not need to do so.’

Ben blinked, and Vader snarled leaping from his seat.

‘Forget it!’ Sith Lord’s long legs ate the distance between his and Mother Talzin’s seat, and he loomed threateningly over the Nightsister as he continued to speak in hushed voice. ‘It is not our mandate to clear up your messes, Mother Talzin - you can do it just fine on your own.’

Talzin simply laughed and said nothing to him, rather she leaned around Vader to look Ben straight into the eye.

‘Daughter has been searching for you’, she told him with amusement. ‘I don’t think you should her or her brother waiting.’

Ben and Vader froze, then the Jedi Master erupted into a litany of curses and oaths bery much untypical for him, mixing in Mando’a and Huttese and occasionally switching to Basic, and all tzhe while talking so fast Vader could not catch everything: some curses and the general gist, however, were more than understandable.

‘ _ Haar’chak _ …. _ e chu ta sleemo _ …. Think they can make us..... whatever they want... _ ori’buyce kih’kovid…  _ that little piece of  _ poodoo... _ ’ 

Reigning in laughter at the foul language he never thought would hear out of his Master’s mouth, Vader clapped Ben on the shoulder, halting the tirade.

‘It seems someone else picked up the Outer Rim slang besides your daughter, old man’, Vader told Ben with a wide grin. Ben locked his eyes with Vader’s then groaned.

‘I said that out loud?’

Vader could no longer control himself and burst into cackles, with Mother Talzin joining in at seeing Ben’s mortified face.

 

* * *

 

Obi-Wan was tempted to sing praises to both Senator Amidala and Senator Antilles; after the whole mess with Grievous and Satine, the two took matters in their own hands and managed to peacefully and painlessly lead all the guests out of ballroom to send them on their way to their lodgings for the night. Even the Supreme Chancellor caved in under the twin gazes of expectation and honeyed words that promised they would take care of everyone and stepped out, his Red Guard clinging to him like a group of red-cloaked mynocks. In the end, the only people who remained in the ballroom were he, Anakin, Satine, Luke, Padmé and Krystal.

‘Well’, Luke broke the awkward silence that lingered in the room, ‘this went well.’

Anakin snorted and Obi-Wan held back a snort of his own at the understatement. Padmé and Satine exchanged a look, then directed their eyes at the boy, who shifted under the scrutiny.

‘It could’ve been worse’, Krystal stepped in, diverting the attention of the room’s occupants to herself. ‘Lothal comes to mind.’

Luke rolled his eyes. ‘Didn’t we agree never to mention that mess again? Hera and Kanan are still pissed about it.’

Krystal shrugged. ‘Hera and Kanan are always pissed about something - we on Lothal is only one thing on their laundry list. How long is it, by the last account? What did Sabine say?’

‘Uhh’, Luke stopped to think, sweeping his eyes over every available surface. ‘12 parsecs, give or take?’

Obi-Wan couldn’t help himself: his jaw dropped. In just  _ how _ much trouble did those two land to joke like that?

‘Excuse me?’ Satine shared his sentiment, poleaxed expression on her face.

Luke smiled apologetically and raised his hands in surrender. ‘We’re quite used to dangers’, he explained. ‘Besides, it’s mostly  _ Ghost _ crew’s messes that appear on Hera and Kanan’s laundry list - we are a negligible presence.’

‘My father on the other hand’, Krystal smirked, ‘keeps actual records on an encrypted datapad he carries around. According to him, we’ll be running out of space on it in about a year’s time - six months, if we factor in war and separate missions.’

‘Force preserve us’, Obi-Wan muttered loud enough for the rest of room to hear him. ‘The galaxy does not need another Team.’

‘Agreed, Master’, Anakin fervently nodded. ‘One pair of trouble magnets is enough.’

‘You’d be quite right, Knight Skywalker’, Padmé sighed, smoothing down the front of her dress. ‘Shall we go?’

‘But where?’ Satine wanted to know. ‘I have no lodgings other than  _ Coronet _ .’

‘Even if you had, Satine’, Obi-Wan spoke before anyone else could, ‘the security risk would be too high. I’d suggest rooming with either Senator Amidala or Senator Antilles until we manage to clear you for the safe return to Mandalore.’ Room resonated with slight shock and surprise at the familiarity and casualness of his address, mainly from Anakin and Padmé; Krystal and Luke, Councillor noted with slight suspicious, did not even blink.

‘My apartment is always open’, Krystal extended her hand. ‘Luke has his quarters in the Temple. You wouldn’t be a burden.’

Obi-Wan winced; while he had ulterior motives in trying to push Satine to go to Padmé or Krystal, he didn’t expect the younger Senator to read his old-time friend so accurately and present his offer in such a tempting way. Then again, Antilles siblings seemed to possess some sort of empathy which allowed them to read people with nearly pinpoint precision. It was unusual, but Force-sensitive siblings were so rare, it was difficult establishing the ground base of what was normal; with Grievous’ warning so fresh in mind, however, he decided to file away this suspicion and try to investigate later, preferably without any Force-null witnesses - and particularly without Satine Kryze in attendance.

Satine looked ill at ease with Krystal’s clear sight. ‘Thank you, Senator’, she recovered, but not before her anxiety was broadcasted in the Force for everyone to sense. ‘I appreciate you kind offer.’

‘My name’s Krystal, Duchess’, Jedi Senator gently corrected. ‘You’re coming to my home, there is no need for formality.’

‘Then I shall insist on Satine’, Mandalorian woman conceded, and Krystal smiled brilliantly.

‘But of course! Follow me.’ With those words and a twirl of golden velvet, auburn-haired girl exited the room, Luke following her like a silent blond shadow. Padmé allowed Anakin to lead her out, tucking her arm under his, leaving Obi-Wan and Satine temporarily alone in the room.

‘Thank you, Obi-Wan’, Satine told him, stepping forward and placing her hand on his cheek. ‘For everything.’

‘It was my pleasure, Satine’, Obi-Wan whispered, mesmerized by the pale eyes he remembered were signature for Kryze clan. His heart skipped a beat for a moment and he flushed red.

Satine only smiled gently and sidestepped him, heading for the door. ‘Say hello to Master Ben for me, Obi-Wan’, she called at the doorstep, turning her head to face the Jedi. ‘And may the Force with you, my Jedi Knight.’

If his face wasn’t already beet red, Obi-Wan was sure it would’ve been after Satine’s declaration: he stuttered out a goodbye on autopilot and thanked the Force for keeping Anakin away - he would’ve never let him live this down! 

Managing to compose himself after a few minutes of staring at the doors behind which Satine disappeared, Obi-Wan went out to place comm call to Cody and Rex: he knew 501st and 212th were always at his and Anakin’s disposal, but the joy he could feel from his Commander and Anakin’s Captain at being briefed in person was a spot of light in his rapidly darkening war-torn days. He could only pray the war would soon end soon; the Jedi were changing in a way Obi-Wan did not like in the slightest, and that worried him beyond belief.

 

* * *

 

The ploy her not-father had concocted when he suggested Duchess should go with her did not pass over Krystal’s head; she knew Grievous had done terrible damage to the fragile trust she and Luke had been building between them, Anakin and Obi-Wan. However, not even the Disciple of Cosmic Force could predict every minute shift in the flow of time, particularly not after the disruption her little family caused by appearing, and this type of thing was certainly  _ not _ on her radar. She shook her head, silently berating herself: she should’ve expected Grievous to mistrust his superior - the like call to like, and Sith Lord’s presence was always a fertile ground for espionage, general paranoia and other less than precisely moral and legal activities. 

Thankfully, her father had not told Tyranus he knew about the Starlord project during their little chat on  _ Invisible Hand _ :  _ that _ little tidbit of information she did not share with anyone other than Ben, who had rescued her from the Kaminoan facility in which she was being raised, and that wouldn’t change for some time if she had any say in it. Her father disagreed with her, and whenever they had a father-daughter spat, they would somehow end up with Krystal accusing her father of being unfeeling and her father calling her a liar and a manipulator. 

She winced at the memory of the most recent argument about their trip to Mandalore, just before they ended up at this point in time: Krystal thought it would be too dangerous for them to go, and Ben was adamant they visit his lost love one last time, so he could pay respects and finally move past her. One thing led to another, and before long they were fighting hand-to-hand, tossing each other around the small hovel they called home. At one point, her father had her pinned down on the floor, hovering only a few centimeters above her as he tried to prevent her from kicking him in the groin; Luke had entered the house at that moment and upon witnessing the scene promptly fled, yelling all the while he did not need the images. 

It was a rather embarrassing scene and an unneeded complication: the very nature of the Force aspect she was Disciple of commanded her to dominate destiny of those around her, and her father’s aspect called for absolute submission to his whims. Those traits were often the reason why their arguments, rare as they were, always seemed to end on a sour or even deadly note, and Luke’s comment sparked something that Krystal and her father had silently agreed never to speak about. She spent their five-day trip to Mandalore locked in the cockpit trying to chase away dreams, while her father hid in  _ Negotiator’s _ sleeping quarters, running away from visions.

Duchess Satine’s voice and press of Luke’s mind against hers yanked her out of her memories.

‘-tor Antilles?’

_ Krys? _ Luke sounded quite worried; she must’ve appeared to be very far away in her thoughts.

‘I’m sorry Duchess, my thoughts wandered away.’ She didn’t even need to fake the smile she bestowed upon her father’s once-chosen. This Obi-Wan was so smitten with her and she with him, she thought it sad they never formalised their love in any way other than their verbal declarations under duress.

Duchess waved away her apology. ‘You’d had a hard day’, here she smiled, catching two Jedi slightly off guard: Krystal could definitely see now why her father fell as hard as he did for her. ‘It is only natural to ruminate.’

‘Yet it is not very polite’, Krystal countered, at ease with more formal way of speech every single politician she had ever met seemed to possess as she stopped in front of one of many doors littering that hallway. Glancing left and right, she quickly typed in the passcode in the box next to the doors and pressed her right palm against the scanner: the box lit green and the doors slid open, allowing them to enter Krystal’s apartment.

‘I’ll be going’, Luke called not even entering the apartment.

‘Good night, Lukie!’ Krystal yelled back. ‘Close the door!’

The boy did so, leaving the two women standing across each other in the sitting room in a slightly awkward silence.

‘Um, the guest bedroom is through that door’, Krystal broke the silence, shifting in place. ‘And the ‘fresher is right behind you. I think I have some clothes that would fit you.’

‘Thank you… Krystal’, Duchess rolled her name over her tongue, getting used to the feeling. ‘I’ll take a bath first, if you don’t mind.’

‘Not at all’, Krystal reassured the older woman. ‘I’ll be making tea - would like me to fix you a cup?’

‘I’d like it very much’, Satine smiled, her hands deftly unpinning her elaborate headdress, leaving her hair to hang. ‘Do you have Alderaani yasmine, by any chance?’

Krystal snorted inelegantly, unwinding coils around the circlet resting on her head. ‘My father is a tea fanatic - I have every tea safe for human consumption and without hoi broth stored here.’ She lowered her voice here. ‘I used to hate tea when I was younger - my father adores making sapir tea, and my taste buds hate it with burning passion.’

Satine chuckled, waiting for the girl to find her sleep wear. ‘I completely understand, my dear - I’ve only tasted it once at Master Jinn’s insistence a long time ago, and it was more than enough.’

‘Let me guess: you spat it out right back on his robes?’ Krystal wore a knowing smile on her face, suggesting her experience was not dissimilar.

‘Indeed.’ A short pause, and both women burst out laughing, tension dissipating as they started comparing the worst substances they were forced to indigest during their life. Satine won by a narrow margin with recounting the Geonosian cuisine ( _ termites, termites and even more termites - and all of them half-alive! _ ), though Krystal swore up and down Master Yoda’s cooking was the worst cuisine in the entire galaxy. ( _ What he eats is not food, it’s a bloody swamp mixed with crushed insects and who-knows-which herbs - and it tastes like it, too! _ )


End file.
